Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where African descendants are compensated to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to erase African American heritage and narrative from the records is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how little it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to minor insults, but confronted with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
