The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are compensated to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has transformed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to erase Black history and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.