Black History Month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to erase African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
