Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week 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 winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement 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 mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to remove the history of people of color and experience from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the history when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
