This commemorative 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 UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the summer we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to erase Black history and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
