Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but confronted with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
