Black History Month acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A campaign to erase African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to minor insults, but challenged by the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
