Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where African descendants are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since that time, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to state that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a entirety.
In the America, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A effort to scrub Black history and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
