Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where Black people are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since those days, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), 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 spread out through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but confronted with the risks that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
