This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input 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 way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to remove Black history and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
