#World news RSS feed US elections 2008 RSS feed Barack Obama RSS feed Race issues RSS feed Religion RSS feed Turn autoplay off Turn autoplay on Please activate cookies in order to turn autoplay off * Jump to content [s] * Jump to site navigation [0] * Jump to search [4] * Terms and conditions [8] Edition: UK * US Sign in Mobile About us * About us * Contact us * Press office * Guardian Print Centre * Guardian readers' editor * Observer readers' editor * Terms of service * Privacy policy * Advertising guide * Digital archive * Digital edition * Guardian Weekly * Buy Guardian and Observer photos * Subscribe Today's paper * The Guardian * Comment and debate * Editorials, letters and corrections * Obituaries * Other lives * Sport * Review * Travel * Family * Money * Work * Weekend * The Guide * Subscribe Subscribe * Subscribe to the Guardian * iPhone app * iPad edition * Kindle * Extra * Guardian Weekly * Digital edition * All our services The Guardian home ____________________ [UK and World news] Search * News * Sport * Comment * Culture * Business * Money * Life & style * Travel * Environment * TV * Data * Video * Mobile * Offers * Jobs * News * World news * US elections 2008 Jubilation greets Barack Obama's presidential victory ⢠Crowds danced in the streets, chanting 'Obama! Obama!' ⢠Civil rights leader hails an America about to turn a page * + Tweet this + IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?app_id=17841205555826 7&href=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/uselections 2008-barackobama4&send=false&layout=button_count&width=140&sho w_faces=false&action=recommend&colorscheme=light&font=arial&he ight=21 + [icon_reddit.gif] reddit this * Ed Pilkington in Atlanta, Georgia * guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 5 November 2008 05.18 GMT * Article history About this article Close Jubilation greets Barack Obama's presidential victory This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 05.18 GMT on Wednesday 5 November 2008. It was last modified at 05.20 GMT on Wednesday 5 November 2008. It was first published at 05.19 GMT on Wednesday 5 November 2008. The victory of Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race was greeted by scenes of jubilation in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, the place of worship where Martin Luther King Jr preached and which held his funeral in 1968. Crowds danced in the streets, chanting "Obama! Obama!", passing cars honked their horns and tears flowed liberally. Inside the church, a congregation of about 2,000 African Americans burst into riotous applause, hands aloft, screaming at two large flat screens upon which the results were broadcast. The explosion of celebration came after hours of tense expectation in which the Ebenezer church had greeted each state won by Obama with mounting noise and expectation. After Obama passed the presidential finishing line, Al Sharpton, the Harlem preacher, addressed the crowd that included several members of the King family, including his son Martin Luther King III and sister Christine King Farris. "Even in the last days we felt we would never see this hour," Sharpton said. "But there is a God." "Yeah!" cried the congregation. "We are grateful to God and to those who paid the price. Don't you feel glad you came to be here tonight." "Yeah!" cried the congregation. "Aren't you glad to be with the King family tonight? There is no better place to tell your grandchildren you were sitting when the dream came into being, than with the family of the dreamers." Victory for the first African American presidential candidate had been predicted earlier in the evening at Ebenezer church, where Martin Luther King preached between 1960 and his assassination in 1968. King's daughter, Bernice, told the congregation while the night was still young: "I want to flip the script. To those who've been saying 'Yes we can', it's time to say 'Yes we have'." Echoing her father's famous refrain, "let freedom reign", the preacher continued: "From every place in America, freedom is about to reign as we witness the first president of African-American descent rise in this nation." Several key figures from the civil rights movement were also present. Andrew Young, the first black ambassador to the UN, who was present at the Lorraine motel in Memphis on April 4 1963 and who witnessed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, told the Guardian that the day had been "a victory of grace over greed, of vision over violence. "I thank Barack and Michelle Obama for delivering this victory to America and the world." With every new result beamed up by CNN on two giant screens, the congregation exploded in cheering and chants of "Yes we can!" The Ohio result, called at 9.30pm prompted the most dramatic outburst, backed by gospel choir singing "Victory is mine, victory today is mine." John Lewis, one of the most celebrated civil rights leaders who was beaten senseless during the Selma civil rights march across Pettus bridge in 1965, said the election result would not get America to the promised land, "but it was a down payment on the promised land. "When I was kicked and left unconscious that day I did not think that I would be standing here witnessing America about to turn a page and make Barack Obama the next president of the United States." * Print this Printable version * Send to a friend * Share * Clip * Contact us * larger | smaller Email Close Recipient's email address ____________________ Your first name ____________________ Your surname ____________________ Add a note (optional) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Send Your IP address will be logged Share Close Short link for this page: http://gu.com/p/22e2p * StumbleUpon * reddit * Tumblr * Digg * LinkedIn * Google Bookmarks * del.icio.us * livejournal * Facebook * Twitter Contact us Close * Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk * Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@guardian.co.uk * If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk * Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard: +44 (0)20 3353 2000 * + Advertising guide + License/buy our content World news * US elections 2008 · * Barack Obama · * Race issues · * Religion More news Related * 31 May 2008 Another 'pastor disaster' upsets Obama campaign * 6 Nov 2008 Overwhelming hope of a global turning point * 28 Aug 2008 'People still see things in black and white' * 2 Jan 2008 Obama's long tour ends on Iowa high * Print this Printable version * Send to a friend * Share * Clip * Contact us * Article history Email Close Recipient's email address ____________________ Your first name ____________________ Your surname ____________________ Add a note (optional) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Send Your IP address will be logged Share Close Short link for this page: http://gu.com/p/22e2p * StumbleUpon * reddit * Tumblr * Digg * LinkedIn * Google Bookmarks * del.icio.us * livejournal * Facebook * Twitter Contact us Close * Report errors or inaccuracies: reader@guardian.co.uk * Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@guardian.co.uk * If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk * Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard: +44 (0)20 3353 2000 * + Advertising guide + License/buy our content About this article Close Jubilation greets Barack Obama's presidential victory This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 05.18 GMT on Wednesday 5 November 2008. It was last modified at 05.20 GMT on Wednesday 5 November 2008. It was first published at 05.19 GMT on Wednesday 5 November 2008. On World news * Most viewed * Zeitgeist * Latest Last 24 hours 1. [BBC-Persian-boss-Sadegh-S-003.jpg] 1. BBC Persian staff face Iranian intimidation 2. 2. Mormon Romney to win in Nevada and leave rest in scramble for delegates 3. 3. Iran 'trying to attack Israeli targets in retaliation for scientists' deaths' 4. 4. Costa Concordia: cruise ship rep's clothing found in captain's cabin 5. 5. Khamenei: Iran will help anyone confront Israel 6. More most viewed Last 24 hours 1. Eyewitness: Nudes float in the Dead Sea 2. Temperatures plunge in Europe â in pictures 3. Saving Spain's Socialists: ex-minister fights for control of a party in tatters 4. Fury over Homs massacre as UN security council gathers for Syria vote 5. BBC Persian staff face Iranian intimidation 6. More zeitgeist What is Zeigeist? What is Zeitgeist? Zeitgeist is an experiment in showing trending news, topics and articles from the Guardian. Find out more in our blog post. Last 24 hours 1. [An-anti-regime-demonstrat-001.jpg] 1. Fury over Homs massacre as UN security council gathers for Syria vote 2. 2. Bradley Manning: US general orders court martial for WikiLeaks suspect 3. 3. Syria: more than 200 dead after 'massacre' in Homs 4. 4. Man lost overboard from cruise liner off Mexico 5. 5. US politics live: Nevada GOP caucus, unemployment surprise 6. All today's stories Guardian Bookshop This week's bestsellers 1. 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's 1. 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's by Jean Carper £10.99 2. 2. What the Grown-ups Were Doing by Michele Hanson £14.99 3. 3. Complete Poems of Philip Larkin by Philip Larkin £40.00 4. 4. Perfect by Felicity Cloake £18.99 5. 5. Pure by Andrew Miller £8.99 Search the Guardian bookshop ____________________ (Submit) Search Bestsellers from the Guardian shop * Tony Palmer's Wagner on DVD * Tony Palmer's Wagner on DVD * Restored and re-edited widescreen version. * From: £24.99 * Visit the Guardian reader offers shop * See all offers and services from the Guardian Sponsored feature guardian jobs Find the latest jobs in your sector: * Arts & heritage * Charities * Education * Environment * Government * Graduate * Health * Marketing & PR * Media * Sales * Senior executive * Social care Browse all jobs international_______ Search Chief Executive London | £70,000-£90,000 DISASTERS EMERGENCY COMMITTEE Related information World news * US elections 2008 · * Barack Obama · * Race issues · * Religion Boris Johnson leaves his home in Islington, north London, on May 2 2008. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Barack Obama gets surprise backing from Boris Johnson 1 Aug 2008 The London mayor, Boris Johnson, has endorsed the US presidential candidate Barack Obama, saying a win for him would be a "fantastic boost" for black people * 4 Nov 2008 Obama's hometown of Chicago confident in his chances * 5 Nov 2008 Yes we did * 14 Aug 2008 Mulattobama * 5 Nov 2008 Yes, we can â and we did Obama supporters in Alabama (20 pictures) US election night victory celebrations around the globe 5 Nov 2008 The world celebrates Barack Obama's historic US presidential election victory Moregalleries * Hot topics * US elections 2012 * Eurozone crisis * Syria * London 2012 Olympics * Oscars 2012 * License/buy our content | * Privacy policy | * Terms & conditions | * Advertising guide | * Accessibility | * A-Z index | * Inside the Guardian blog | * About us | * Work for us | * Join our dating site today * © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Quantcast