Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since that time, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the America, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to erase Black history and legacy from the records is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to minor insults, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
