Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where Black people are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to erase Black history and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the celebration represents how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. Maybe an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
