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 UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where Black people are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is celebrated is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.