Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are compensated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. 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, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a entirety.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to remove Black history and experience from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a professor at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? 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), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
