Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include events where Black people are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.
The month has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to erase African American heritage and narrative from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.
