Obama meets with African American Civil Rights leaders

U.S. President Barack Obama (c) and Attorney General Eric Holder (l) meet with African American civil rights leaders at the White House., February 18, 2014. PHOTO/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder met Tuesday with a group of African American civil rights leaders, discussing income inequality and jobs, voter suppression and controversial state laws like Florida’s Stand Your Ground.

Several African American leaders have been critical of Obama for not doing more to address the African American unemployment rate in particular, however, Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, said the meeting was substantive.

“We are very parallel with the president’s plans in many of these areas,” Sharpton said. He suggested much of the frustration in the African American community is aimed at the “resistance and blocking” demonstrated by Congress.

“I think the media likes to overplay some frustrations”, Sharpton said, noting Obama was reelected with a healthy African-American vote in 2012.

Read more: McClatchyDC