This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, 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. Over the years, an observance that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where Black people are compensated to address white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Origins of Black History Celebration

First commemorated in the United States 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 remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

The observance has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.

A Disconcerting Period

Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the summer we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a whole.

In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to scrub African American heritage and experience from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.

In this context, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”

Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but confronted with the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.