This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month illustrates how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
