Reps.: Race relations haven’t improved under Obama

Lawmakers from both parties told The Hill that race relations have not improved under President Obama.

Former Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) says “in terms of people feeling much better in regards to race — no, that’s not happened, and I don’t know any thoughtful people who think it has. Whether he addresses the issues or not is not going to change the reality of the era.”

{mosads}His colleague in the CBC, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), contended that Obama’s race is “no doubt” part of the reason why the president “has been treated badly” during his time in office.

“Why would it be that we would find the first black president would be treated worse than any other president in my lifetime? And I am 60 years old. And my conclusion is that it’s simply because he is black,” Johnson said in an interview with The Hill’s Molly K. Hooper.

Lawmakers were split on whether it was appropriate for President Obama to use the N-word in a recent podcast interview with Marc Maron.

Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva (Ariz.) told The Hill, “I think when he used the N-word I’m not as offended as other people. In the context that he used it, was now that people don’t use this word anymore, that doesn’t mean that, you know, this is kumbaya on race issues in this country.”

Other lawmakers disagree.

“I think it’s not very presidential,” Tennessee Rep. Diane Black (R) said.

Her GOP colleague Rep. Tom Reed (N.Y.) added, “I think a better choice of words could have accomplished the same message.”

To hear the lawmakers in their own words, please watch the video above.