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

We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Background of Black History Observance

Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the UK, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.

The month has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.

A Jarring Moment

Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better 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 ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a whole.

In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.

In this context, the month represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”

Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – 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, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.