This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where African descendants are paid to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the month is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be influential if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, 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 entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
