Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color 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 regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing 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 top legal institutions of the state. A drive to remove African American heritage and legacy from the records is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the situation of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Well, first, 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 prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
