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 United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include 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 sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, 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 African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A effort to remove Black history and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the past when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
