Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
