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We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Origins of Black History Celebration

First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Holland.

The observance has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

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A Disconcerting Period

Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a legislator feels empowered to say that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a whole.

In the America, a significant offensive 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 archives is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.

Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”

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Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.