President Barack Obama will meet with young civil rights leaders, politicians and law enforcement from around the country as protests continue over Ferguson in a bid to build trust between communities of color and police, the White House said Sunday.
Obama will welcome the civil rights activists in the Oval Office on Monday. He then will sit down with local leaders, elected officials and police, the White House said.
"Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country have shone a spotlight on the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local police and the communities they protect and serve," the White House said in a statement.
"As the country has witnessed, disintegration of trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve can destabilize communities, undermine the legitimacy of the criminal justice system, undermine public safety, create resentment in local communities, and make the job of delivering police services less safe and more difficult," the White House added.
Protests have continued nationwide since a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. Wilson resigned from the police force on Saturday.
IN-DEPTH
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