Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are remunerated to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month represents how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments 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 approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
