The president urged Americans to respect the verdict, but also understand that racial discrimination is a real issue facing the majority of African Americans today.
“If a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different," he said.
“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.”
"I don't want us to lose sight of the fact that things are getting better."
The president urged white Americans to understand that the country's minority groups view the justice system through "a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away."
"A lot of African American boys are painted with a broad brush."
The president also said that Zimmerman's acquittal shouldn't be used to "heighten divisions"