This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?

We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where Black people are remunerated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.

The History of Black History Month

First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, 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 celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The period has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a indication of the political moment. How it develops is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.

A Disconcerting Period

Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent 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, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a entirety.

In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to scrub African American heritage and narrative from the records is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”

Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.