This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. 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 wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and narrative from the records is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month represents how minimally it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
