This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to remove African American heritage and narrative from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.