The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
