Mr. Obama has prodded them to focus on solutions. White House officials said at the time that the activists had grievances but few constructive suggestions. A night later at the town-hall-style meeting, Mr. Obama offered up a defense of Black Lives Matter against critics who have said the movement is inherently racist. The White House has started initiatives to collect and use data to better target law enforcement resources and increase transparency about how the police do their work. “His empathy isn’t only with the movement, it’s also with the enormous challenge that law enforcement officers have,” said Valerie Jarrett, Mr. Obama’s senior adviser.

Source: New York Times July 21, 2016 08:59 UTC