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 UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where Black people are paid to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge 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 raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US 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 seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and experience from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month symbolises how little it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out 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 do away with things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
