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 seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation 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 new dynamic 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 some institutions are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
