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We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include functions where Black people are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.

The History of Black History Month

First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.

The observance has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.

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A Troubling Time

Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a entirety.

In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to erase Black history and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

In this context, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.