Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are paid to address white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to erase Black history and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.
