By NATASHA METZLER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Sunday recalled the work of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as he urged those packing a Baptist church to take heart in hard times and celebrate progress – however small.
On the eve of the federal holiday marking King’s birth, the first African-American president said he learned – as did the civil rights leader – to rely on his faith even as he felt the “sting of criticism” during his first year as president.
“During those times it’s faith that keeps me calm,” he said.