This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US 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 a week of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.
The month has transformed since that time, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more 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 discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the observance is commemorated is a indication of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives 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 depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the month represents how little it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that face all if anti-racism is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
