Black History Month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, 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. As time has passed, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.

The History of Black History Celebration

First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The month has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

A Troubling Time

Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a whole.

In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to remove Black history and narrative from the records is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

In this context, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Determining how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. 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 look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.