Black History Month acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?

It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are compensated to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.

The History of Black History Observance

First commemorated 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 multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.

The period has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution 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 celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.

A Disconcerting Period

Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a complete entity.

In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the records is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.

Against this backdrop, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”

Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.