Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an event that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and narrative from the records is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the present. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “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 driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
