This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated 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 multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
