Black History Month acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp 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 was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where Black people are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The period has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the contribution 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 observance is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the America, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to erase Black history and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how little it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
