Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where Black people are paid to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history 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 publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A drive to scrub Black history and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
