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 UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe 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 country. A effort to erase the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
