Black History Month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, 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 source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the records is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the month represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.