Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to remove the history of people of color and experience from the records is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance represents how minimally it can be influential if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized festivities of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid politics, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
