Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since that time, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. 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 indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
