This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the impact 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 method the month is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to erase the history of people of color and experience from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how minimally it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts 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 vestiges of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
