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

It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.

The History of Black History Observance

First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The observance has developed since that time, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.

A Jarring Moment

Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a whole.

In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to remove African American heritage and experience from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.

In this context, the observance symbolises how little it can be influential if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. 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 look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.