Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are continuing their appeals to African-American voters, with police shootings of African-American men in Oklahoma and North Carolina emerging as campaign issues. Trump also tried to boost his fortunes by calling for an unlikely proposal - increasing stop-and-frisk of African-Americans across the nation. Josh Robin filed the following report.

Donald Trump prays in a Cleveland church and turns to the shooting of an unarmed black man in Tulsa.

"To me, it looked like somebody that was doing what they were asking me to do," Trump said. "This young officer, I don't know what she was thinking."

It's unclear whether a call Wednesday to expand stop-and frisk will reverse his standing with black voters. He proposed it on Fox News when asked about curbing violence within the black community.

"We did it in New York, it worked incredibly well," he said. "And you have to be proactive and, you know, you really help people sort of change their mind automatically."

Ruled unconstitutional in New York in 2013, it was ended amid concern it was discriminatory and counterproductive.

Trump repeatedly argues black voters have nothing to do lose by voting for him. He's also getting attention for a remark on Tuesday. He said then that among all the chapters of the black experience in America, the current time is the bleakest for African-American communities.

"Our African-American communities are absolutely in the worst shape that they've ever been in before. Ever, ever, ever," he said.

That brought a response from Rep. John Lewis, a veteran of the civil rights movement and a Clinton supporter.

"Is he saying that the conditions are worse than slavery?" Lewis said.

The boxing promoter Don King also drew attention for using the n-word introducing Trump.

"If you're a dancing and sliding and gliding [expletive] - I mean Negro," King said.

In a Florida speech, Clinton talked broadly, about the police shootings, which also sparked protests in North Carolina, saying while there's still much unknown, "We do know that we have two more names to add to a list of African-Americans killed by police officers in these encounters. It's unbearable and it needs to become intolerable."

Also late Wednesday, a new national poll from The Wall Street Journal and NBC News showed Clinton with a six-point lead.