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We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.

The Background of Black History Celebration

Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

The observance has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.

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A Jarring Moment

Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.

In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and experience from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.