{"id":32436,"date":"2013-07-19T21:14:23","date_gmt":"2013-07-19T21:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mixedracestudies.org\/wordpress\/?p=32436"},"modified":"2015-10-24T21:57:24","modified_gmt":"2015-10-24T21:57:24","slug":"in-wake-of-zimmerman-verdict-obama-makes-extensive-statement-on-race-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mixedracestudies.org\/wp\/?p=32436","title":{"rendered":"In Wake of Zimmerman Verdict, Obama Makes Extensive Statement on Race in America [with video]"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Wake of Zimmerman Verdict, Obama Makes Extensive Statement on Race in America [with video]<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The New York Times<\/a>
\n2013-07-19<\/p>\n

Mark Landler<\/a><\/strong>, White House Correspondent<\/p>\n

Michael D. Shear<\/a><\/strong>, White House Correspondent<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 President Obama<\/a>, making a surprise appearance on Friday in the White House briefing room to address the verdict in the Trayvon Martin killing<\/a>, spoke in personal terms about the experience of being a black man in the United States, trying to put the case in the perspective of African-Americans. They were Mr. Obama\u2019s most extensive comments on race since 2008, and his most extensive as president.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s important to recognize that the African-American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that \u2014 that doesn\u2019t go away,\u201d Mr. Obama said in the briefing room. \u201cThere are very few African-American men in this country who haven\u2019t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.<\/strong>\u201d…<\/p>\n

…Mr. Obama issued a statement shortly after the verdict. But on Friday, he talked more broadly about his own feelings about the verdict and the impact it has had among African-Americans. \u201cYou know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son,\u201d he said. \u201cAnother way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.\u201d<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

…Mr. Obama had been under pressure from some African-Americans to weigh in more forcefully after the verdict. For several days, his spokesman deflected questions about Mr. Obama reaction.<\/p>\n

But on Friday, after several days of silence, the president appeared eager to offer his thoughts. He declined to take questions, but talked at length about his personal experience as a black man and about the historical context that shapes African-American responses to cases like the one involving Mr. Martin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThat all contributes, I think, to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different,\u201d Mr. Obama said.<\/p>\n

When Mr. Martin was shot in 2012, the president offered an emotional response, saying that \u201cIf I had a son, he\u2019d look like Trayvon\u201d and adding that \u201cWhen I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.\u201d…<\/p>\n