Race takes center stage on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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President Obama, the first African American to be the elected president, will spend much of today celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day as race relations are in the spotlight.
He and First Lady Michelle Obama will participate in a public service event before hosting a conversation with a small group of African American seniors and their grandchildren on the legacy of the civil rights movement.
In the evening, the presidential couple plan to attend the “Let Freedom Ring” concert at the Kennedy Center.
Meanwhile, a poll shows that fewer Americans believe that Obama has helped advance race relations compared with a year ago when Obama rode a wave of euphoria to his inauguration.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 41% now say Obama’s presidency has helped race relations, compared with 58% a year ago.
The decline was the steepest among African Americans, with 51% now saying Obama has helped advance race relations, compared with 75% a year ago.
-- Michael Muskal
