Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an event that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where African descendants are paid to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to erase African American heritage and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.