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

This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are remunerated to address white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.

The History of Black History Celebration

Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign 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 Britain, Germany, Éire and the Holland.

The period has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the observance is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered 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 better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.

In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the records is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.

In this context, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, 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

Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has not worked.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.