Black History Month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where Black people are remunerated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the method the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a entirety.
In the United States, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A effort to erase African American heritage and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out 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 inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the history when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
