Live! Martin could have been me, 35 yrs ago: Obama on black teen
July 20, 2013 01:34
US President Barack Obama today spoke about his rare personal experience on a recent verdict in a black teen case and said that "Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago".
"You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago," Obama told reporters as he made an unannounced entry into the White House press room.
The 17-year-old unarmed black teen was shot and killed in Florida in February 2012. George Zimmerman, 29, said he opened fire on the teenager in self-defence and was acquitted of murder by a Florida court last week.
In his first public remarks after Zimmerman was acquitted, Obama shared his personal experience and said very few black men in the US had not experienced racial profiling.
"There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me," Obama said.
"You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago," Obama told reporters as he made an unannounced entry into the White House press room.
The 17-year-old unarmed black teen was shot and killed in Florida in February 2012. George Zimmerman, 29, said he opened fire on the teenager in self-defence and was acquitted of murder by a Florida court last week.
In his first public remarks after Zimmerman was acquitted, Obama shared his personal experience and said very few black men in the US had not experienced racial profiling.
"There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me," Obama said.
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