This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are remunerated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since those days, focusing less on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A effort to erase African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.
