Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, 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 legislator feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to scrub Black history and experience from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
