Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where Black people are compensated to address white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The surge has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the America, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A drive to erase African American heritage and narrative from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the threats that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.