Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since those days, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the method the month is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance represents how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
