This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are paid to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. 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 surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to remove African American heritage and experience from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), 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 distributed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
