Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The period has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator gains confidence to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a entirety.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to erase the history of people of color and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
