Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that began as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact 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 month is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how little it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.
