Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. 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 Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established 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 grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to erase Black history and narrative from the archives is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
