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We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include functions where Black people are compensated to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.

The History of Black History Month

Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, Éire and the Holland.

The period has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.

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A Disconcerting Period

Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to state that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a complete entity.

In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to erase Black history and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.

Given these circumstances, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a prof at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.