Springfield, IL (WAND) – Books have the power to shape how children see the world and how they see themselves. In Springfield, families gathered to celebrate the fifth annual Black Children’s Book Week Sunday, celebrating reading and representation.

“Literacy creates worlds. You cannot envision who you can be, what you can accomplish if you’re not really, fully able to immerse yourself in literacy. It helps expand your world and helps create and encourage creative thinking,” said Sunshine Clemons, co-founder and president of Black Lives Matter Springfield.

Black Children’s Book Week was launched by a bookstore owner in Springfield. The week aims to highlight the importance of black children seeing themselves in literature in a positive light.

“Representation really matters. I know people think that’s just a saying, but the more that you can see yourself in different places, the more that you can envision what you can do, who you can become, the changes that you can create in this world,” Clemons said.

The program kicked off with community leaders reading books to children. Organizers said this event goes beyond diversity in books, but an inspiration in everyday experiences.

“We try to bring people, from the community that look like the children that we’re focused on right now, to show them that not only can you see yourselves in the pages of a book, but you can see yourselves right here as leaders in the community, and these are some of the people that you can look up to and talk to right in your own city,” Clemons said.

The best part — children and adults got to leave with free books.

“We don’t ever want finances to be a burden from people to be able to not be able to have books that represent them, so we love being able to give out books all year long,” said Clemons

As black children’s book week continues to grow, organizers hope to inspire the next generation of readers and leaders.