race relations

The president says incidents in the past year have "surfaced" long-simmering issues between minority communities and authorities, allowing for a healthy airing of grievances.

President Obama has said he'll work to improve race relations between police and communitie, but in his hometown, many see a leader unable to sustain the progress predicted during his 2008 campaign.

With his brown skin and long dreadlocks, Marc Quarles stands out in his predominantly white neighborhood. He's particularly aware of that, he says, when his biracial children aren't with him.

Near Ferguson, Mo., young people are taking the lead in protesting police brutality. Many say they had never considered activism before, but saw Michael Brown's shooting death as a call to action.

With a very personal message about the Trayvon Martin case and race relations, the president "connected with so many African-American men," says Detroit radio host Angelo Henderson. He's among many commenting on the president's remarks.