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

This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an event that began as a commemorative event 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 compensated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.

The History of Black History Celebration

Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, 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 February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

The period has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.

A Troubling Time

Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a entirety.

In the United States, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to erase African American heritage and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.