The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?

It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include events where Black people are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.

The History of Black History Observance

Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.

The observance has evolved since those days, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.

A Jarring Moment

Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a entirety.

In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, 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 month symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”

Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.