Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created 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 second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and increasingly on prominent Black figures 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 commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on 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 depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month illustrates how little it can be influential if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
