This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where African descendants are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The observance has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is commemorated is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to scrub Black history and narrative from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has basic knowledge of the history when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
