Black History Month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?

It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where Black people are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.

The Origins of Black History Celebration

Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The observance has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.

A Troubling Time

Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in the European continent as a whole.

In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to remove African American heritage and experience from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.

In this context, the celebration represents how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”

Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be pacified with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.