Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to scrub Black history and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
