Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. 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 Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has transformed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective 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 as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A effort to scrub Black history and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how minimally it can be influential if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth 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 minor insults, but confronted with the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Black History is Now Month.
