This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, 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, growing to encompass gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from 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 UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to erase Black history and narrative from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be influential if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also shows 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 expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has mere awareness of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
