This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where Black people are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. 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 the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to scrub Black history and narrative from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be influential if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but confronted with the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
