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CHICAGO (WLS) --

The Chicago stop on Holder's national tour is to show White House concern for what many say are deteriorating relations in African American communities around the country with their local police departments.

"Our nation is facing some critical times," Holder said. "We have to ask ourselves some fundamental questions about the lack of trust that exists between some communities and the law enforcement officers who serve those communities."

The nation's top law enforcement officer sat beside his old friend from Washington, Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Holder's wife, an obstetrician, actually delivered one of Emanuel's daughters.

"We have White House ties, we have White House battles, but this is one of my guys," Holder said.

U.S. Attorney Zach Fardon hosted the meeting at the Federal Building in downtown Chicago. Among the invited guests were ministers and community activists, as well as Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

"This is about trust, first and foremost, and building that," Emanuel said. "It's 24/7, seven days a week, 365 days a year effort."

Meeting participants acknowledged worsening relations between police and many in the African-American community during the national controversy surrounding the deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The police officers involved in those cases were not indicted.

Holder's tour is part of a White House strategy to begin a national conversation on the issue.

The invited guests were predominantly African-American. They talked about the worsening relationship between police and their community in Chicago a city with a sordid history of wrongful arrests and convictions, even torture of black men.

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AG Eric Holder in Chicago to address community trust issues