Obama pays tribute to female civil rights leaders

As black women are more likely to work in low-paying jobs, Obama repeated his support for a higher minimum wage and paid time off. The night was black-tie and brought together members of Congress, the political elite, celebrities and conference attendees as it celebrates the accomplishments of those who have made inroads for the African Americans community.

Obama also invoked his wife, Michelle, in talking about challenges facing black women. He also called women “foot soldiers” and recalled how they were instrumental behind the scenes in the early days of the civil rights movement.

Obama commented Saturday while delivering the keynote address at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual awards dinner in Washington. And in an unprecedented move as a sitting president, Obama made a clear delineation to explain how the sexual assault of Black women and girls often fuels the prison pipeline, stating that “the incarceration rate for Black women is twice as high as the rate for White women”.

When black women and girls are marginalized, “we all lose out on their talents”, Obama said.

‘Those stereotypes and social pressures, they still affect our girls, ‘ said Obama, the father of two teenage daughters.

He was due to speak again on Saturday, but with the campaign to succeed him in full swing, the president was certain to face some competition for attention.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the dinner to mingle with the crowd of several thousand.

Vice-President Joe Biden attended a caucus prayer breakfast before heading to his home in Delaware for the weekend. They put their lives on the line for our safety.

“I want to repeat because somehow this never shows up on Fox News”, Obama said.

“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 said. In the march, she was badly beaten by police.