Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The month has developed since that time, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to remove African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month represents how minimally it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.