This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established 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 developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has developed since that time, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the records is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries 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 becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
