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Carter: US experiencing ‘resurgence of racism’

by Jesse Byrnes - 09/15/16 4:22 PM ET

Former President Carter on Thursday panned the presidential race and warned that the United States is experiencing a “resurgence of racism.”

Carter made his remarks at a summit in Atlanta while calling on Baptist leaders to create change in their churches and communities, according to The Associated Press.

{mosads}Carter said when white Americans remain quiet when they witness segregation or discrimination for fear of losing their position in society, it amounts to accepting such practices.

Carter, a lifelong Baptist, teaches a Sunday school each month and has long made a point of pushing for racial reconciliation. On Thursday he spoke of how his faith affected his political career.

The former Democratic president described “some degree of embarrassment” surrounding the presidential race between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

The various racial, ethnic and religious differences present in the U.S. form “a beautiful mosaic,” he said, praising the country for being “resilient” in the past, according to the AP.

“I think there will be a positive reaction after this election,” he predicted. “I pray it will come out a certain way, but I think there will be a lot of lessons learned.

In previewing the summit earlier this year, Carter told The New York Times that Trump’s candidacy had “tapped a waiting reservoir” of “inherent racism.”

Tags Donald Trump Hillary Clinton