Black History Month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where African descendants are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. 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 winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to remove Black history and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an time that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
