Black History Month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include events where Black people are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from 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, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to remove Black history and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty 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.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the risks that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
