WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama called on Americans to do some soul searching over the death of black teenager Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his shooter, saying in a rare public reflection on race that the slain 17-year-old "could have been me 35 years ago."
Empathizing with the pain of many black Americans, Obama said the case conjured up a hard history of racial injustice "that doesn't go away."
Obama's personal comments, in a surprise appearance in the White House press room, marked his most extensive discussion of race as president.
For Obama, who has written about his own struggles with racial identity but often has shied away from the subject in office, the speech signaled an unusual embrace of his standing as the nation's first black president and the longing of many African-Americans for him to give voice to their experiences.
"When you think about why, in the African- American community at least, there's a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it's important to recognize that the African- American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away," Obama said.
A Florida jury last week acquitted George Zimmerman of all charges in the February 2012 shooting of Martin, who was an unarmed. The verdict was cheered by those who agreed that Zimmerman was acting in self-defense, while others protested the outcome, believing Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, had targeted Martin because he was black.
Martin was staying in the gated community where Zimmerman lived and had gone out on a rainy evening last year to buy snacks at a store. Zimmerman, who was armed with a handgun and was part of a neighborhood watch organization, spotted as Martin as the teenager walked back to the residence and called authorities to report he thought Martin was acting suspiciously.
The emergency dispatcher told Zimmerman not to follow Martin because police were on their way. Zimmerman ignored that request and a scuffle or fight took place during which the neighborhood watchman shot the teen.
Despite his emotional comments on the case, Obama appeared to signal that the Justice Department was unlikely to file federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman. Traditionally, he said, "these are issues of state and local government," and he warned that the public should have "clear expectations."
Following the verdict, some civil rights leaders called on Obama to lead a national conversation on race. But the president has resisted. Before Friday, his only comment on the verdict had been a written statement in which he called Martin's death a tragedy and appealed for calm.
But throughout the week, the president kept track of the national response to the verdict, particularly by black Americans, and had discussions with his family, aides said. He was ready to address the verdict earlier this week during a round of interviews with Spanish language television stations, but the matter never came up.
On Thursday, he told his senior advisers that he felt the country needed to hear from him — not in an interview or speech, just a frank discussion of his views and experiences. He spoke from the podium in the White House briefing room with no notes.