Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where Black people are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to erase Black history and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but confronted with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
