This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US 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 a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm 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 emboldened to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
