Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and experience from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's early administrative commands aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
