This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are paid to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in October in the UK, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A effort to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the political figure's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone 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 – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
