Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is observed is a indication 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 impeded the objective of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to remove African American heritage and experience from the records is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, 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 prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
