Library features reading for Black History Month

BY: minot’s daily news

Submitted Photo Joy-Nicole Smith, a Minot Air Force Base School Board member, recorded readings of three children’s books with the Minot Public Library. The virtual readings are in celebration of Black History Month and are set to be posted to MPL’s Facebook page on

Last year, the Minot Public Library (MPL) celebrated Black History Month with a movie showing, a story time and a video series. This year, the library is teaming up with Minot Air Force Base School Board member Joy-Nicole Smith to feature a book reading on its Facebook page on Feb. 21

Randi Monley, children’s librarian at MPL, said on Monday that the reading has already been recorded, and the library is working on editing it for posting on Feb. 21.

Smith, who has experience as an educator with the Department of Defense of Education Activity, moved to Minot in July 2021 and has been a member of the Minot AFB School Board since September 2021. She contacted the library to inquire about plans for Black History Month.

“I’ve done reading programs in the past. I’ve done certain events for Black History Month, but I wanted to see if there was anything happening in town, especially within the public library, so I just reached out,” Smith said.

Monley said that she was surprised by Smith’s “out-of-the-blue” call that led to the planning of the virtual presentation.

“We had a really great conversation and she was very passionate and super excited to share some of her book collection with the kiddos, and then she came in and she read some books for the virtual presentation,” Monley said. “Honestly, I am so amazed with her storytelling ability. She’s so great at what she does, and she really did make the stories come alive.”

Smith said that she seeks to increase connection and empathy through storytelling and enjoys sharing literary resources.

“It’s not just diversity. It’s more about connecting to stories that may be different from others,” Smith said. “I think we’re more connected than we think we are. I’ve lived many places, but one thing I know is that you can always find somewhere to connect to. There’s something in someone else’s story that we can connect to and that helps us to empathize with one another.”

For the recording, Smith read “Flower Garden” by Eve Bunting, “I Am Every Good Thing” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James, and “Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem” by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long.

“Flower Garden” features a little girl as the main character as she makes a flower garden for her mother. Reviews describe “I Am Every Good Thing” as a story of self-love and affirmation. Gorman and Long, who created “Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem,” are both New York Times bestsellers.

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