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We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include events where African descendants are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Background of Black History Observance

Initially celebrated in the US 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 seven days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement 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, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The observance has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.

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A Disconcerting Period

Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a whole.

In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.

Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Establishing 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 discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.