Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where Black people are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls 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 the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A drive to remove Black history and narrative from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
