Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has transformed since that time, focusing less on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input 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 manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, 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 feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
