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Former U.S. President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance at a Chicago Public Library, delighting children attending a community reading program. Obama, who grew up and began his political career in Chicago, greeted kids, read stories, and encouraged them to stay curious and keep exploring books.

The unexpected visit sparked excitement among parents, teachers, and library staff as Obama took time to speak with families and highlight the importance of public libraries in supporting childhood learning.

This video captures the heartwarming moments from his drop-in visit and the reactions of children who never expected to meet a former president during their afternoon library session.

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Transcript
00:00Hello everybody, it's Santa.
00:10How you guys doing?
00:14What are you guys working on?
00:17What's your name?
00:19I'm a uncle.
00:21I'm a uncle.
00:23I'm a uncle.
00:25I'm like a puzzle.
00:27I see that.
00:29That's a long word.
00:31I'm all about hope.
00:40So everybody seems to be working hard.
00:42I thought we were going to have a little Christmas party
00:45and everybody's doing their homework.
00:48What's happening?
00:50Who's that good looking guy?
01:01He was Barack Obama.
01:03He said, you did a great job, that's excellent.
01:07The only problem is I now have a little gray hair, but that's why I'm wearing it.
01:17Because that's not how it was in the picture.
01:19Well, it's wonderful to see all of you.
01:21I know you have a library school sometimes.
01:23Have you ever gone to like a big Chicago Public Library?
01:28Do you know?
01:29Do you guys like reading?
01:30Yes.
01:31You do?
01:32Yes.
01:33Are you good readers?
01:34Yes.
01:35All right.
01:36All right.
01:37We're definitely a good politician.
01:40So I understand that we're going to do a little reading time.
01:49I'm going to read a quick book and then we've got a couple of, come on.
01:54Is everybody going to stay here or where are we going to read?
01:58Real read.
01:59Well, let's read over here.
02:01Okay.
02:02One table at a time.
02:03One table at a time.
02:04Oh, there we go.
02:05Come on.
02:06Oh, everybody's being too orderly.
02:08I'm sorry, man.
02:09Well, come on, everybody.
02:10Let's just sit over here.
02:13You know, I can tell there's such a well-behaved class.
02:19I've never seen kids act this well-behaved.
02:23What's going on?
02:25Are you guys all trying to be good?
02:27For Christmas?
02:28Of course.
02:29Do you want a nice one?
02:30Yeah.
02:31Come on, come on.
02:32Do you want a nice one?
02:33Yeah?
02:34Come on, come on.
02:35Do you want a nice one?
02:36Yeah.
02:37You can eat.
02:38That's all right.
02:39All right.
02:40Tell me when everybody's ready.
02:42I'm going to be interested in reading.
02:43Flying Free, how Bessie Coleman's dream took flight.
02:55All right?
02:56And I think this must be Bessie because she's got a plane there.
02:59All right?
03:00You ready?
03:01Yeah.
03:02Yeah.
03:03Okay.
03:04Okay.
03:05Bessie Coleman was born a spirited little girl whose sense of adventure would light the whole
03:15world.
03:16In the morning she'd rise and breathe the fresh air.
03:21Marvel at the small flocks of birds.
03:27Bessie loved reading.
03:29You guys said you love reading too?
03:31Yes.
03:32All right.
03:33Two.
03:34As she excelled in her studies, her confidence grew.
03:38But each end of summer, when harvest came round, bows down, hands sore from that picking,
03:47Bessie wiped her small brow and dreamed she'd find greatness.
03:51She just didn't know how.
03:53So there's Bessie.
03:54She wants to read, but she has to do some work.
03:58Make her cut.
04:01Black bird.
04:02Black.
04:03Show your spark.
04:04Show your twirl.
04:06Let those beautiful wings unfurl.
04:09You know what unfurl means?
04:11No.
04:12Unfurl.
04:13Unfurl means when something's.
04:14Oh, go ahead.
04:19So, so if.
04:21Yeah, go ahead.
04:22When something's folded up and then it unfurls, it unfolds.
04:29So like your wings are, you know, like the bird has the wings tucked in.
04:34And then they unfold.
04:36Unfurl.
04:37That's very good.
04:39All right.
04:41One day, Bessie's teacher.
04:44Was an apologist?
04:45Yes.
04:46Okay.
04:47The pilot is the person who steers the airplane.
04:51All right.
04:52Breakthrough.
04:53Wow.
04:54Harriet Quimby was the brave woman's name and being the first had brought her new fame.
05:00While the kids all snickered and shook their heads about what her teacher had said.
05:07So, so Bessie's just hearing about the fact that maybe she might be able to fly like those birds, huh?
05:19Bessie kept working the fields where her spirit could soar.
05:24One day her brother wrote, why don't you come join me in Chicago?
05:29No.
05:30No.
05:31So she came to Chicago.
05:32Chicago is so much fun.
05:35Absolutely.
05:36I agree.
05:37One day her brother strolled in, charming all with his war tales that he told with a grin.
05:51The French flyers, he said, were heroic and true, but laughed her brother, there is no way
05:58that you could.
05:59You live in America, are black and female.
06:04You'd have a better chance if you had a tail.
06:09So her brother doesn't think she's going to be able to fly.
06:12Do you guys have somebody sometimes, do your brothers or sisters sometimes tease you and
06:17say, ah, you can't do something?
06:19And then what do you want to do when they tell you you can't do something?
06:22Oh, punch?
06:23No blow.
06:24If you want to do something, what would be another option?
06:31Show them they're wrong.
06:33And see, they'll be a black female pilot and it will be me.
06:39Black bird, black girl, shine bright for the whole world.
06:49Show your spark.
06:50Show your twirl.
06:51That's it.
06:52They all told her no.
06:53We won't teach you to fly.
06:54You're a girl.
06:55The wrong color.
06:56But she still had to try.
06:57Then a friend told her, I think you'd have a chance if you didn't stay here but instead
07:12went to France.
07:14And this is Jessie.
07:15Anybody know what je m'appelle?
07:20No.
07:21She's now in France.
07:23France is another country.
07:24Right?
07:25You guys know that?
07:27It's on the other side of the ocean.
07:30And what language do they speak in French?
07:37Sometimes it was hard being so far from home.
07:40Sometimes she felt sad and terribly alone.
07:43The work was quite hard, but she enjoyed her training.
07:48With so much to do, there was no time for complaining.
07:52This was her calling.
07:54The sky was for her.
07:57There, it didn't matter what color you were.
07:59Black bird, blank bird, shine.
08:09When it was finally time to get her license to fly, Bessie passed all the tests on the
08:17very first try.
08:21There it was in her hand, the pilot's license.
08:23So if you want to fly a plane, you need something, so if you want to drive a plane, like when
08:28you guys get older and you want to drive a car, you've got to go get a license, right?
08:32So you need a license to fly, it's like, there it was, in her hand, her pilot's license.
08:39She couldn't wait to show it to her family and friends.
08:44Upon her return, triumphant and proud, what does triumphant mean?
08:49Anybody know?
08:52What do you think?
08:54What do you think?
08:56Yes.
08:57Happy?
08:58It's victorious.
08:59It means you've won.
09:00You feel like you're happy because you've done something great.
09:04Right?
09:05So triumph means you've won something.
09:08And triumphant means you feel like you've won something.
09:11She's feeling triumphant and proud.
09:14Bessie was green flying a plane and she climbed on top of the plane.
09:18Would you do that?
09:20No.
09:21I wouldn't do that.
09:22I'd be too scared.
09:23I would.
09:24You would do that?
09:25I would.
09:26I would.
09:27I would.
09:28Yeah.
09:29You butt your head.
09:30That's what would happen.
09:32She would tell the officials to integrate the venue.
09:38Integrate.
09:39Anybody know what that means?
09:41Yeah.
09:42It means it used to be that my people, if they were different, if they looked different,
09:46they had to sit in different places.
09:48Oh.
09:49Yeah.
09:50But now we don't do that anymore.
09:51Because Miss Ward, I mean, Miss Miller showed us that book.
09:56He showed us a book about that.
09:58Well, they don't.
09:59We're glad.
10:00Well, Bessie traveled the country.
10:03Uh-oh.
10:04Whoa.
10:09Spoke to young and to old, inspiring all races with the story she told.
10:14People of color have since become flyers.
10:19Above the land, above the sea, where they all said she shouldn't be.
10:24Bessie said, watch.
10:26She said, you'll see.
10:28And followed her dream, flying free.
10:32And there's a picture, there's an actual photograph of Bessie.
10:37Huh?
10:38Isn't that cool?
10:40Yeah.
10:41So, that's the end.
10:44Let me ask you a question.
10:46Who would like to learn how to fly a plane?
10:50Be a pilot.
10:51That sounds pretty fun.
10:53Yeah?
10:54What else do people want to do?
10:57What do you want to do?
10:59You want to be a police officer.
11:01How about you?
11:02Be a doctor.
11:03That would be excellent.
11:05Then you could make people feel better.
11:07How about you?
11:09Oh, you want to learn about art so you can maybe like an art historian.
11:19Well, you're going to have to come.
11:20An art teacher.
11:21An art teacher is even better.
11:23How about you?
11:24I want to do a cue.
11:25Well, you know what?
11:26No.
11:27All I'm doing, right now all I am is old.
11:32How about you?
11:33I want to be a ball player.
11:36So you can play basketball and you'd be willing to stand on top of a plane.
11:41I mean, you're tough.
11:43How about you?
11:44That's constant.
11:45My doctor is excellent.
11:47And you?
11:49Huh?
11:50You want to be the president?
11:53Yes.
11:54Okay, well, you've got a long way to go.
11:57But I think you could be a president.
12:00I think you could be.
12:01It's possible.
12:02Yes.
12:03Do you have a pet?
12:04Yes.
12:05Do you have a pet?
12:06Yes.
12:07Do you have a pet?
12:08I've got a pet.
12:09My mom said I can't get one.
12:10Your mom said you can't get one.
12:11My mom said you can't get one.
12:12My mom said you can't get one.
12:13I don't have your old eyes.
12:14I'm going to get my pet.
12:15When you get older, you can get one because you can take care of it.
12:18Because right now she'd be the one walking that dog out and that stuff.
12:21I know.
12:22And why about you?
12:24I'm not sure.
12:25I'm not sure.
12:26Everybody?
12:27Everybody can squeeze in the people we're being drunk.
12:31Come on.
12:32Come on.
12:33Come on.
12:34Come on, man.
12:35Well, now you can't see me, though.
12:40Come stand up.
12:42Come stand up.
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