Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an observance that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created 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 developed from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since that time, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration represents how minimally it can be influential if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
