Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a entirety.
In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the month represents how little it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
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 inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.