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This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.

The Origins of Black History Celebration

First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.

The observance has developed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the method the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: 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 Troubling Time

Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a whole.

In the US, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.

Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”

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Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning

Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.

But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.

So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.