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 UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where Black people are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. 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 new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.