🔗 Share this article

We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.

The History of Black History Observance

First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.

The month has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.

---

A Disconcerting Period

Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.

In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at 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 naturally discriminatory”.

Given these circumstances, the month symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”

---

Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has not worked.

Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.