Source: Michael B. Thomas / Stringer / Getty
Members of the Black Lives Matter movement will have an opportunity to speak with President Barack Obama at the White House soon. White House sources released a statement earlier today saying “On Thursday afternoon, President Obama will meet with a group of civil rights leaders prior to the annual White House Black History Month reception to discuss a range of issues including the Administration’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.”
Obama has previously shown support for Black Lives Matter:
“All Lives Matter. I think the reason that the organizers used the phrase black lives matter, was not because they were suggesting nobody elses lives matter, rather what they were suggesting was there is a specific problem that is happening in the African American community that is not happening in other communities, and that is a legitimate issue we have got to address…But, that all said, we as a society, particularly given our history, have to take this seriously. One of the ways of avoiding the politics of this and not losing the moment is everybody just stepping back for a second and realizing that the African American community is not just making this up, and it’s not just something being politicized. It’s real and theres a history behind it and we have to take it seriously.”
Source: Complex
