Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to address white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since its inception, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a entirety.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to remove the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how little it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
