This commemorative month acts as a gauge 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 re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are compensated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures 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 commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is under way. 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 “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the month illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
