The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement 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 person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how little it can be influential if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
