Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include events where Black people are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. 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 manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as 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 summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the risks that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
