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 Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has transformed since that time, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to scrub African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a professor at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, 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, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who mark it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
