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This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. 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 commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.

The Origins of Black History Observance

First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The month has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.

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A Disconcerting Period

Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.

In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to erase African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.

In this context, the month represents how minimally it can be influential if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”

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Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, 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 tradition of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.