Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are paid to address white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding 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 “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The period has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is commemorated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, 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 source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to remove African American heritage and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the past when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
