Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed 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 extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to remove Black history and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the past when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
