Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are compensated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
