Stung by summertime allegations that they neglected their bedrock African-American constituency, the White House and President Barack Obama’s reelection team have cranked up their outreach to black voters, selling the president’s first-term achievements as accomplishments that will pay long-term dividends for the black community.

Top administration aides and Cabinet officials have fanned out to black communities, touting those accomplishments — including health care reform, unemployment insurance extensions, public-education overhauls and programs encouraging minority entrepreneurship — and last month, they hosted a summit on African-American issues.

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Summit participant Ralph Everett, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, said it helped clear up perceptions that Obama has given short shrift to black communities.

“This administration, no matter what you hear in the news and what you hear other [Republican presidential candidates] talking about, is working hard to look after the interests of all Americans and, at the same time, is doing a lot to look after African-Americans” who are suffering, Everett said.

Read more at politico.com.