Prior to his Black History Month celebration at the White House, President Barack Obama met with civil rights leaders to discuss race relations and other needs for African American citizens in our country.
During the final Black History Month of his administration, President Barack Obama met on February 18 with a number of civil rights leaders prior to the annual reception. This was the first meeting of its kind during the President’s two terms. Its purpose was to meet with leaders who represent different generations of the civil rights movement in order to discuss a range of issues, including President Obama’s efforts on criminal justice reform, building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and the President’s priorities during his final year in office.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch was also present. The invited guests numbered about two dozen individuals including Black Lives Matter Chicago co-founder Aislinn Pulley, National Bar Association President Ben Crump, National Action Network Founder and President Al Sharpton, National Urban League President Marc Morial and Brittany Packnett, member of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing and co-founder of We the Protesters and Campaign Zero.
Following the meeting, the President and First Lady attended the Black History Month reception at the White House. The reception was the climax of a number of events to honor the contributions that African Americans have made to the United States. Earlier this month, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a celebration of dance with noted African American dancers from different genres. Last week the White House Council on Women and Girls hosted an event to highlight the efforts of individuals and organizations to get women and girls of color involved in STEM. Later this month the Office of Public Engagement will host a screening of the upcoming WGN-TV movie, “Underground.”
