Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where African descendants are compensated to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, 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 seven days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to erase Black history and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay 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 not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
