Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
