I am Trayvon Martin

With a final reference to Martin Luther King's words almost 50 years ago at the March on Washington, President Obama offers nuanced views on racial progress, but also hard truths on the Trayvon Martin case, the stand your ground gun laws, what it's like to be a young black male in America.  President Obama spoke conversationally and informally in the White House press room.  Yet partly because of that, this may be the most important 17 minutes of words in the history of race relations since that MLK speech.

The parents of Trayvon Martin later issued a statement thanking the President for his "beautiful" words.  They ended their statement: "We seek a future when a child can walk down the street and not worry that others see him as dangerous because of the color of his skin or the clothes on his back. We seek a future where our children can grow up and become the people God intended them to be."

Vigils for Trayvon Martin are scheduled in over 100 U.S. cities for Saturday.

Amy Davidson at the New Yorker quotes from President Obama's statement with comments.

Religion prof Anthea Butler in Politico: "This is a profound moment, not only for African-Americans, but for the nation. While the Zimmerman trial has exposed the deep divide between the left and the right, the aftermath has been brutal. Online and on cable news, this past week has felt like a race war with no end in sight — and it has been draining. Hearing the first African-American president clearly affirm our collective pain as African-Americans is a “balm in Gilead” that will help many."