Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass gatherings where African descendants are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the month is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to remove Black history and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
