Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that began as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the situation of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.