Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A effort to erase Black history and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be influential if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
