The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is celebrated is a indication of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered 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 better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A effort to remove Black history and experience from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay 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 seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
