Black History Month is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?

We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where Black people are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Origins of Black History Observance

Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

The period has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.

A Disconcerting Period

Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.

In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”

Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.