This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate gatherings where Black people are compensated to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to remove Black history and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (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 individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
