This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The period has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to state that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to scrub Black history and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, 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 legacy of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
