Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include functions where African descendants are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since those days, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how little it can be influential if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the past when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of minor insults, but confronted with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
