🔗 Share this article

We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.

The History of Black History Month

Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.

The month has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.

---

A Disconcerting Period

Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization 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 staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a entirety.

In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

In this context, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”

---

Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a new dynamic 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 commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.