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 UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where Black people are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.

The Origins of Black History Observance

First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

The month has developed since those days, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the input 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 way the month is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

A Troubling Time

Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels emboldened to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a whole.

In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to erase African American heritage and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

Given these circumstances, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a considerable labor has been invested in. 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 new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and adaptive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.