Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where African descendants are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, 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 conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to scrub Black history and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how little it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
