This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?

We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where African descendants are paid to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.

The History of Black History Month

First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

The month has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is commemorated is a indication of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

A Troubling Time

Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a whole.

In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to remove African American heritage and narrative from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”

Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.