Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include events where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the US, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the month represents how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as various establishments are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has mere awareness of the past when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
