Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from 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 autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the observance is commemorated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the European continent as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month represents how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking 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 complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
