This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated 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 remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, focusing less on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions 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 leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
