Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where Black people are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to erase Black history and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
