After a year that's seen racial tensions explode across the U.S., President Barack Obama tells NPR the country is less racially divided today than when he first took office.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:<br/> <br />"I actually think that the issue has surfaced in a way that probably is healthy."<br/> <br />The deaths of unarmed black men by white police officers has reignited the conversation on race and sparked sometimes violent demonstrations.<br/> <br />The President says these tensions between law enforcement and minorities are nothing new.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:<br/> <br />"It's just something that hasn't been talked about, and for a variety of reasons. In some cases, something as simple as the fact that everybody has cell phones now so that you can record some of these events. It's gotten a lot of attention. I think that's good. It then points to our ability to solve these problems."<br/> <br />The tensions deepened in New York this month w
