The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to remove Black history and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the month represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, assuming 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 tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if anti-racism is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
