Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where African descendants are compensated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A effort to remove Black history and narrative from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a professor at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
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 spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
