This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution 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 celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, 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 specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to remove Black history and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
