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We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are remunerated to address white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.

The Background of Black History Celebration

Originally observed 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 remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the Holland.

The period has evolved since that time, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

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A Jarring Moment

Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a whole.

In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.

Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has not worked.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.