Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance 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 February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed 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 strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to remove African American heritage and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
