Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement 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 United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the month represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
