Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include events where African descendants are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the records is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, 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 necessary. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the threats that face all if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
