Obama Admits United States ‘Not Cured’ of Racism

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In recent months, the issue of racial inequality has shifted to the forefront of the US national debate amid numerous seemingly racially motivated police killings around the country, as well as racially motivated mass shootings, most recently in Charleston, South Carolina.

Obama admitted it was “incontrovertible” to say that race relations have improved during his lifetime, and used a derogatory N-word to describe the country’s history of racial struggles.

"It is not just a matter of it not being polite to say 'nigger' in public, that is not the measure of whether racism still exists or not,” Obama said. “It is not just a matter of overt discrimination.”

Obama explained, when it comes to racism, societies do not completely heal “overnight,” adding that “the march is not over” to end racism, “and the work is not yet completed.”

Last week, a 21-year-old white man opened fire at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, and killed nine African-Americans. Prior to the fatal shooting, gunman Dylann Roof allegedly published a racist manifesto describing African-Americans as “stupid and violent.”