This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are compensated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated 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 Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the month is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to remove African American heritage and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
