This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a professor at a learning establishment, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid politics, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
