Black History Month acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?

We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where Black people are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.

The Background of Black History Observance

First commemorated 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 seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.

The observance has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the observance is commemorated is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.

A Jarring Moment

Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a entirety.

In the United States, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.

Given these circumstances, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”

Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time 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 – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.