Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that began as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include events where Black people are compensated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a elected representative gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to erase African American heritage and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not just to decay 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? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
