This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how little it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
