Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are remunerated to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is commemorated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to remove Black history and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
