This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to remove African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at 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 depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
