Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?

This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where Black people are paid to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.

The Origins of Black History Celebration

First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in October in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The month has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is observed is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.

A Troubling Time

Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a whole.

In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.

Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”

Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era 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 – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.