Joe Biden not going to Black Caucus dinner

During a short but hard hitting speech to African American leaders Saturday, President Barack Obama pushed for “greater focus on helping black women who are more likely to be stuck in minimum wage jobs, have higher rates of illness and face higher rates of incarceration than other women”, according to the Washington Post.

In a speech that called for equal pay, fair policing and criminal justice reform, Obama framed the conversation around how these injustices affect Black women specifically, noting that women of color still get paid “30 fewer cents for every dollar a White man earns”.

“There is no contradiction between us caring about our law enforcement officers and also making sure that our laws are applied fairly”, President Obama said.

Obama has had the spotlight to himself at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual awards dinner during all but one of his almost seven years in office. But with the campaign to succeed him in full swing, he had some competition for attention at Saturday’s gathering sponsored by a major Democratic Party constituency group. Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering a late entry into the Democratic race, attended a caucus prayer breakfast.

Biden has said that he is considering a presidential run against Democrats like front-runner Hillary Clinton and surging Vermont Sen.

Obama says he will work with Congress and CBC members in the coming months on legislation to address what he says are unjust sentencing laws.

He also swiped at conservatives who blame him for animosity toward law enforcement officers.

“I’m focusing on women tonight because I want them to know how much we appreciate them, how much we admire them, how much we love them”, he added.

While talking on the issue of police violence, Obama stated that officers put their lives on the line, show exceptional bravery and therefore deserves our respect. She celebrated this year’s 50th anniversary of the march by crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, while holding hands with Obama.