Black History Month acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where Black people are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a legislator feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to erase Black history and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
