🔗 Share this article

We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are paid to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.

The History of Black History Celebration

Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in October in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The month has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the contribution 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 observed is a indication of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.

---

A Jarring Moment

Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a whole.

In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to scrub Black history and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.

In this context, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”

---

Reevaluating, Not Abandoning

Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, 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 activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.