Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since those days, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to erase Black history and experience from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but confronted with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Black History is Now Month.
