Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions 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 displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent 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. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer 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 firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
