This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where Black people are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked.
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, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
