Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an observance that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, 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. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the observance is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a entirety.
In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
