Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. 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 month has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to erase African American heritage and narrative from the historical documents is in progress. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.
