First lady Jill Biden to travel to Kansas City to tour the Harry S. Truman Library

First lady Jill Biden will travel to Kansas City on Wednesday to tour the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. She will also participate in an event in support of President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection.

The first lady, who is a community college professor, will get a tour of Truman’s presidential library and learn about their efforts to support civic literacy in the community. She’ll also meet with high school students and teachers at the museum.

Alex Burden, the executive director of the Truman Library Institute, said he was looking forward to the first lady’s visit because it will allow him to show off some of the library’s programs, like the White House Decision Center, which allows groups to confront some of the difficult decisions Truman made — like whether to drop the nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki — in a replica of the Oval Office.

“We are thrilled that she wants to visit the Truman Library and meet with local teachers and students,” Burden said.

Earlier this year, the organization hosted a symposium in Washington celebrating Truman’s decision to desegregate the military and the federal workforce and the impact his decision had on Civil Rights.

President Biden was the keynote speaker at the opening night of the symposium and used his speech to talk about the importance of diversity initiatives in the military, which are currently being challenged by conservatives in Congress.

Sens. Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley, Republicans who represent Missouri, voted against Biden’s pick for chairman of the joint chiefs of staff – Air Force General C.Q. Brown – because of Brown’s support for the military’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Brown was the first Black man to be named chief of staff for the Air Force when he was confirmed by the Senate in 2020.

The White House did not say who is hosting the fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund, the joint fundraising committee between Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, or where it will be located.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat who represents Kansas City, said he was pleased the visit is focused on civic literacy and public education. He introduced a bill earlier this year that would push for more resources so public schools could teach about civics and government.

“While I’m disappointed that I will not have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Biden as I work to avoid a senseless government shutdown in Washington, I have no doubt that the people of Kansas City, Independence, and the Truman Library will welcome her with open arms,” Cleaver said.