New York, July 17 (ANI): In a direct address to black America, President Barack Obama said that while “there’s probably never been less discrimination in America than there is today… the pain of discrimination is still felt” by Latinos, Muslims and gays, as well as African-Americans.

In New York on Thursday to mark the centennial of the NAACP, Obama delivered a sweeping speech outlining his domestic policy, and recalling America’s journey from slavery to freedom.

He praised civil-rights activists, saying, “because of what they did, we are a more perfect union.”

Yet, according to Politico, he said, in spite of the many strides, there is still work to be done in ending discrimination and closing the racial gaps in employment, education, health care and incarceration rates.Obama called for ending “structural inequalities that our nation’s legacy of discrimination has left behind; inequalities still plaguing too many communities and too often the object of national neglect.”

The crowd of mostly black supporters cheered throughout the speech, which was delivered in a packed ballroom at the Hilton in midtown Manhattan.

Some people in attendance at the black-tie event cried as he delivered it, and at one point Obama joked that he had an “Amen Corner” in the audience and repeated his campaign slogan, “Yes we can.”

Obama dedicated much of the speech to education, which he told reporters from the black press in an interview earlier on Thursday he thought was the most important issue facing the black community. (ANI)