Obama Makes Statement on Race in America

President Barack Obama unexpectedly made a statement in the White House briefing room on Friday about the death of Trayvon Martin, drawing from his personal experiences of being a black man in the U.S. to give perspective on African-Americans' view of the case.

I think its important to recognize that the African-American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that ... that doesnt go away, said Obama. There are very few African-American men in this country who havent had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.

Obama's comments follow a flurry of statements from high-profile individuals speaking out about Stand Your Ground laws in the U.S., like Attorney General Eric Holder, who condemned Florida's Stand Your Ground laws at an NAACP convention in Orlando this week. Obama said he and his administration will be taking a deeper look into the policy options and laws like Stand Your Ground.