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We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. 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 taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where Black people are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.

The History of Black History Month

Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.

The month has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.

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A Jarring Moment

Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a entirety.

In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to remove Black history and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “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 agent of progress.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.