Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide 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 established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to erase Black history and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the situation of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
