Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where Black people are remunerated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. 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 Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to erase African American heritage and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a considerable labor 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 new dynamic 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 commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
