Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that began as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A drive to remove Black history and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how minimally it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
