Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, 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. Throughout its history, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are compensated to address white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month symbolises how little it can be influential if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
