This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?

We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an event that began as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are compensated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.

The History of Black History Observance

Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

The observance has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

A Disconcerting Period

Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.

In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to remove African American heritage and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.

Given these circumstances, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has failed to deliver.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

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 spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.