SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton visited Matheny-Withrow Elementary Wednesday to participate in an event for Black History Month.

She read the book,”Grace for President,” to a group of third graders. She then took questions from students.

She said she hopes the students took away a bigger message from the book. “There’s this young woman of color who says, ‘I don’t see myself represented and I want to run for president.’ And in many ways, being the first black lieutenant governor of our state rings true with me to think about how important it is that we not just have the first or the only, but we keep opening up doors so that we can have more people of color; more women and girls getting into these spaces,” said Stratton. She also toured the school to observe their approach to early childhood education.