Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection 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 North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a entirety.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to erase Black history and experience from the records is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
