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We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where African descendants are paid to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Background of Black History Observance

Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.

The observance has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

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A Jarring Moment

Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a whole.

In the America, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, 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 racial movements – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), 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 distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.