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This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are paid to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.

The History of Black History Observance

Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.

The month has transformed since its inception, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.

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A Jarring Moment

Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a entirety.

In the US, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to scrub Black history and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.

In this context, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.

However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but challenged by the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.