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It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where Black people are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Background of Black History Observance

First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.

The observance has developed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the observance is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.

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A Troubling Time

Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a whole.

In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the records is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.

Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”

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Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.