This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since that time, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the European continent as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to remove Black history and legacy from the records is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, 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 current, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
