Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at 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 portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining 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 temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the past when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
