This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, 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 British history. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to scrub Black history and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Black History is Now Month.
