Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate gatherings where Black people are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness 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 an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to remove African American heritage and experience from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, 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 extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
