Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where African descendants are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.
The month has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to erase the history of people of color and narrative from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. 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 some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
