This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and more on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson 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 Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but confronted with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Black History is Now Month.
