Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who have condemned the justice system's response to the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of white police officers, say the presence of the victims' relatives at the president's State of the Union address would send a message to policymakers about criminal justice reform.
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) endorsed the idea Thursday, saying that the presence of the Garner and Brown families at the address would "help educate and sensitize other members and humanize some of the issues that we're going to confront."
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While the lawmakers emphasized that no such invitations have been extended, President Obama is expected to address the issues surrounding law enforcement tactics in his annual address in January.
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