This commemorative month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where African descendants are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the contribution 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 manner the observance is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
