Black Dollar Magazine will recognize and tell Black History Month stories in Canada and the U.S. It will be a month of celebration, history, and prosperity as we look back at the Black 'superheroes' who contributed to the benefit and upliftment of Black diasporas.

Tune in for daily stories about historical and current Black figures and entrepreneurs. The headlines will be hashtagged with #BHM2023. Be sure to signup for the BDM newsletter to stay up-to-date on our coverage.

What is Black History Month and why is it important?

It is a time when African-descent Canadians, Americans, and Europeans celebrate the legacy, history, and achievements of African-descent Canadians, Americans, and Europeans — inventions and inventors, acts of valour in war, acts of courage in civil rights (activists and politicians), films and photographers, and theatre productions and actors.

In 1915, historian Carter G. Woodson co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, according to History.com. In 1926, the group designated the second week of February as “Negro History Week” to recognize the contributions of African Americans in U.S. history.

The celebrations were chosen for the second week because they included the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, former U.S. president Gerald Ford made the week-long event a month-long celebration.

Countries like Canada, the U.K., Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany adopted official celebrations in the ’80s and ’90s, according to History.com.

CBC Kids News contributor Ainara Alleyne, and creator of “Ainara’s Bookshelf,” discussed the importance of the month-long event in Canada last year. Check it out below.