Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where Black people are remunerated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to erase African American heritage and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
