This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Month
First commemorated 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 developed from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's early administrative commands aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era 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 – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
