Media playback is unsupported on your device

Obama speaks about fatherless childhood

28 February 2014 Last updated at 03:10 GMT

US President Barack Obama has called for a national campaign to improve opportunities for black and Hispanic boys and young men.

In a press conference announcing the programme, called My Brother's Keeper, Mr Obama related how he had spoken to a group of young men in Chicago about his own experience growing up without a father.

"I explained to them that when I was their age I was a lot like them. I didn't have a dad in the house. And I was angry about it, even though I didn't necessarily realise it at the time."

Describing how he had made "bad choices" like using drugs and not taking school seriously, Mr Obama said the "only difference is that I grew up in an environment that was a little bit more forgiving".

