Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include events where African descendants are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront 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 takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A effort to remove African American heritage and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, 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
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
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 commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
