Washington, Sep 4 (IANS): US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tried on Saturday to court the black vote with an appearance before an African American Christian congregation in Detroit, where in a humble tone he said he was there to listen and learn.

Trump appeared before the congregation of Bishop Wayne Jackson at Great Faith Ministries International to convince the faithful that he understands the complaints of African American voters about discrimination and their lack of opportunities, EFE news reported.

The candidate, who trails his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by a significant margin in voter preference among minorities, said that African American churches are an important part of the country's conscience and key to its civil rights movement.

Trump promised those in the Detroit church that his presidency will bring unity, cohesion, peace and prosperity, as well as a civil rights agenda for our time.

Nor did the businessman-turned-politician forget to mention the crisis in Detroit, a debt-ridden city since the General Motors bailout in 2009 and generally depressed since the automobile industry and manufacturing in general went into a tailspin in the 1990s.

Trump said the country is very divided and the political system has failed its citizens.

He said that candidates running for presidency don't do enough to visit the communities and learn -- but he, on the other hand, was there to learn, to be able to remedy injustice and fix the economy so that African American communities benefit economically from newly available jobs and wages.

Trump was met outside the Christian church by dozens of demonstrators, including African American pastors, who called Trump a racist.