Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The observance has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is observed is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses 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 systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise 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 African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to scrub Black history and legacy from the records is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
