Barack Obama Surprises Chicago Students With Holiday Visit and Story Time
President Barack Obama brought an unexpected dose of holiday cheer to Chicago’s South Side this week with a surprise visit that turned an ordinary afternoon into a memory those students won’t soon forget, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
While in town to tour the nearly completed Obama Presidential Center, the 44th president stopped by the Bessie Coleman branch of the Chicago Public Library in Woodlawn on Tuesday, where a group of about two dozen Burke Elementary School students, ranging from kindergarten to second grade, were gathered for story time and a coloring activity.
According to a pool report, Obama arrived wearing a red Santa hat, instantly lighting up the room. Coverage of the visit was limited to one pool reporter, a Chicago Tribune photographer, and a CBS camera crew, as arranged by the Obama Foundation.
Looking around at the focused students, the politician cracked a joke about their dedication.
“Everybody seems to be working hard,” he said.
“I thought we were gonna have a little Christmas party, and everybody’s doing their homework. What’s happening?”
Moments earlier, the children had been learning about influential Black figures, which included Obama himself, and erupted with excitement when he walked in, shouting his name.
When the 64-year-old asked who would like to read, multiple hands shot into the air.
Seated on the floor with the students, Obama read aloud “Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman’s Dreams Took Flight” by Karyn Parsons, a children’s book about the first African American woman pilot.
As he read, he paused to explain vocabulary words like “unfurl,” “triumphant,” and “segregation,” and helped break down the mechanics and meaning behind flying an airplane.
Before leaving, each student received a winter hat, gloves, and a book to take home.
Obama also took time to greet library staff and community members, closing out the visit with quiet moments of connection before heading back to his scheduled tour.
You can watch Obama interact with the kids below.
