Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where Black people are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign 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 United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the United States, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to remove African American heritage and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the celebration represents how minimally it can be influential if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.
