This commemorative month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how little it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
