Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A drive to scrub African American heritage and experience from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the month symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
