This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include functions where African descendants are paid to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
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 drive to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the situation of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a professor at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
