Saturday night at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual awards dinner, President Barack Obama addressed the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, saying, “It scares the hearts of white children who grow unnecessarily fearful of someone who doesn’t look like them.”

Obama discussed the “gulf of mistrust” between citizens and the police force in certain communities, saying, “Too many young men of color feel targeted by law enforcement—guilty of walking while black or driving while black, judged by stereotypes that fuel fear and resentment and hopelessness.”

“And the worst part of it is it scars the hearts of our children. It scares the hearts of white children who grow unnecessarily fearful of someone who doesn’t look like them. It stains the heart of black children who think no matter what he does he will always be under suspicion. That is not the society we want. It’s not the society our children deserve.”

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