Families in our community reflected on the legacy of President Barack Obama’s election as a moment when many children, for the first time, viewed the presidency as potentially attainable, regardless of their race or ethnic heritage. Recent political rhetoric has been frightening for many children; our staff have been sensitive to this given the number of immigrant families in Skokie. Exploring feelings through art in a program that focused on hope and possibility was an idyllic fit for our community this year.

During heritage months, our library explores the current context and strives to support community needs. This can be challenging when developing programs for children because complex community concerns often require sophisticated sensitivity. Our program simultaneously celebrated black history by educating families about a renowned black artist and a black president, encouraged healthy identity development and aspirations and addressed community concerns while appearing to be a simple and joyous family art program.

Our library developed an innovative Black History Month program that supported what our diverse community needed this year. As libraries move toward being more responsive to community needs, modern programming that honors racial and ethnic heritage in current community context is vital.