This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance 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 government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the method the month is commemorated is a indication of the current political situation. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
