Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, 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 reassessment. Throughout its history, an event 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 gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. 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 seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
