Black History Month is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where African descendants are remunerated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.
The month has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to scrub Black history and narrative from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how little it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.