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. As time has passed, an event that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to address white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month represents how little it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out 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 completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
