Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to remove Black history and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
