Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins 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 a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.
The observance has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a entirety.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to remove African American heritage and experience from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
