Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?

It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.

The History of Black History Month

Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The month has evolved since those days, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a reflection 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 hindered the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.

A Disconcerting Period

Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a whole.

In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to erase Black history and narrative from the records is in progress. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.

Given these circumstances, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”

Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has not worked.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.