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We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are compensated to address white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.

The History of Black History Celebration

Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The period has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.

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A Disconcerting Period

Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a entirety.

In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.

Against this backdrop, the observance represents how minimally it can be influential if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it ignores 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 sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.