This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where Black people are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement 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, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a professor at a learning establishment, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form 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, 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 across all seasons (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
