Black History Month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. 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 reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to erase African American heritage and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
