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 Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is celebrated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise 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 Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
