Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it develops is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to scrub African American heritage and narrative 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 Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty 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 driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
