This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate gatherings where Black people are paid to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A effort to remove African American heritage and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month symbolises how little it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
