Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where Black people are paid to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has developed since that time, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to remove the history of people of color and experience from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
