The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?

It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.

The Origins of Black History Month

Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The observance has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

A Disconcerting Period

Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a entirety.

In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to erase Black history and experience from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.

In this context, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”

Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Determining how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an framework that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.