Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution 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 way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge 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 specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to scrub Black history and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
