Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include events where Black people are remunerated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a entirety.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at a learning establishment, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
