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This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.

The Origins of Black History Observance

Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage 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 publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.

The period has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.

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A Jarring Moment

Few things illustrate how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a entirety.

In the America, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.

Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate events including 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 tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is required – Black History is Now Month.