Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The period has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to remove the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the risks that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
