PHILADELPHIA, March 18 (UPI) -- Some of U.S. President Barack Obama's black supporters are expressing concern about his post-racial approach to governance, observers say.
One year to the day after Obama delivered a speech on the subject of race in Philadelphia, some backers said a discussion about race and discrimination is called for, Politico, a Washington publication, reported Wednesday.
"You have to talk about the ways race continues to trump merit," Marc Lamont Hill, an assistant professor at Philadelphia's Temple University, said to Politico.
"Even if you stimulate the economy and create jobs, the reality is if your name is Shaheem and not Michael, you might not get a call-back," he said.
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., one of Obama's strongest supporters, told Politico "the moment the issue of race comes up, we want everyone to stop talking."
"In time, he will address the issue of race," U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., told Politico. "But right now his main focus is trying to straighten out the difficult circumstances he inherited."
