Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where Black people are compensated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection 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 North America in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is commemorated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory 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 the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to remove Black history and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, 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 legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.