Black History Month acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate functions where Black people are compensated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.
The period has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to scrub Black history and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
