Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are compensated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the observance is celebrated is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the month illustrates how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as various establishments are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
