Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where African descendants are remunerated to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
First commemorated 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 a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the month illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
