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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 was initiated as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Origins of Black History Month

Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Holland.

The period has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.

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A Jarring Moment

Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a whole.

In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A drive to erase Black history and narrative from the archives 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 “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.

In this context, the month illustrates how minimally it can be influential if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor 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 look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to minor insults, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.