This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are paid to address Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign 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 Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the records is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
