This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are paid to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to erase Black history and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at a learning establishment, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
