Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are paid to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to remove the history of people of color and experience from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? 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), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
