This commemorative month is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are compensated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The observance has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to remove African American heritage and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached 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 temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. 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 new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the history when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
