Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where African descendants are paid to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history 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 movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has transformed since those days, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is commemorated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to remove Black history and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
