Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include events where Black people are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A drive to erase Black history and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
