The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?

This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.

The History of Black History Observance

First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.

The period has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.

A Troubling Time

Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a whole.

In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to erase Black history and legacy from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.

In this context, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an framework that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for people, 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 pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if anti-racism is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.