This commemorative month is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated 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 a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the observance is commemorated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how little it can be influential if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
