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We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.

The Background of Black History Observance

First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.

The month has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.

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A Disconcerting Period

Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a whole.

In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.

Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”

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Reconsidering, Not Discarding

Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.