Black History Month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?

It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.

The Background of Black History Month

First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.

The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.

A Troubling Time

Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a entirety.

In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to scrub Black history and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – 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 living breathing thing.

So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.