🔗 Share this article The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it? It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for. The History of Black History Observance First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The month has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism. A Disconcerting Period Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to state that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a whole. In the America, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to remove African American heritage and experience from the archives is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”. In this context, the month represents how little it can be influential if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.” Reconsidering, Not Discarding Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked. However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay 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 look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), 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 governmental matters, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the past when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.