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#ObamaAndKids: Twitter Users Celebrate President's Legacy

As the 2016 race for the White House heats up, others are starting to consider President Obama's legacy. On display today was his impact on kids.
Image: President Barack Obama greets a young guest during a reception celebrating African American History Month
President Barack Obama greets a young guest during a reception celebrating African American History Month in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 18, 2016.Pete Souza / The White House

President Barack Obama has often found common ground with the cutest crop of this country's citizenry — the kids.

That was evident Saturday, when the hashtag #ObamaAndKids began trending following the release of an image from a Black History Month event at the White House this week.

Image: President Barack Obama greets a young guest during a reception celebrating African American History Month
President Barack Obama greets a young guest during a reception celebrating African American History Month in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 18, 2016.Pete Souza / The White House

The black-and-white photo, taken by White House photographer Pete Souza, depicts a young boy standing near the rope line as he gazes up at the president, who touches his cheek.

Entrepreneur Michael Skolnik, who was at Thursday's event, said he saw the tiny guest work his way up toward the front of the crowd just before the president came through.

"It was no surprise," he said of the boy's moxie. "He was determined."

Skolnik saw the photo of the unnamed boy online on Saturday morning while he was at home with his 2-year-old son, Mateo. The image, he told NBC News, made him mull over Obama’s legacy.

Inspired, he decided to repost the photo on Twitter with a statement: "We'll never truly be able to measure the impact that President @BarackObama has had on our children.”

As the photo started circulating, Skolnik tweeted out another message with the #ObamaAndKids hashtag.

Then, thousands of posts of Obama with kids began to circulate on Twitter. Even the first lady, Michelle Obama, joined in.

Skolnik said that seeing all of those photos also shows how important the impact of America's first black president has had on race relations.

“To see the way the kids — Latino, Native American, black — (have responded) to him, it’s amazing,” Skolnik said.

Former White House staffer, military veteran and mom Darienne Rakestraw said that the president’s legacy for her children is unique.

"They can dream of running the country, fighting in combat (like their mama and nana), marrying whoever they choose, earning what they know they're worth," Rakestraw said.