Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that began as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” 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 movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
