Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are remunerated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The month has transformed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.
In the United States, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to remove African American heritage and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
