Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where Black people are remunerated to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is celebrated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, 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 legislator feels empowered to say that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month represents how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but confronted with the risks that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
