President Barack Obama said that he empathises with people on the police-involved Charlotte and Tulsa killings and hopes people will see things in a "greater context".
Speaking at the White House ahead of the opening of the African American Museum of History and Culture on Saturday, Obama said that he hopes people visit the museum and come to see current events in greater context.
"My hope is that as people are seeing what's happening in Tulsa or Charlotte on television, and perhaps are less familiar with not only the history of the African-American experience but also how recent some of these challenges have been, upon visiting the museum may step back and say, 'I understand. I sympathize. I empathize. I can see why folks might feel angry. And I want to be part of the solution, as opposed to resisting change,'" CNN quoted Obama as saying.
"My hope is that this complicated, difficult, sometimes harrowing but I believe ultimately triumphant story will help us talk to each other," Obama added.
The newest Smithsonian Museum -- the National Museum of African-American History and Culture -- chronicles the decades of fighting against slavery, the efforts to end segregation and the Civil Rights Movement as well as contributions made by African-Americans in areas ranging from the military to sports to culture and the arts.
Recently, police-involved shootings within a week left two black, middle-aged men dead in Charlotte and Tulsa, which has polarised the nation and refuelled the debate of racism in the country.
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