It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where African descendants are paid to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The month has transformed since those days, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools 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 develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to remove Black history and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the month represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
