BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: Senator Barack Obama this week gave what many are calling the most important speech on race in America since Martin Luther King, Jr. Obama made the speech after weeks of controversy surrounding remarks made over the years by his longtime pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright Jr. Kim Lawton reports.

KIM LAWTON: During his address at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Senator Barack Obama urged black and white Americans alike to overcome past resentments in order to break what he called the nation's "racial stalemate."

Senator BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): I have asserted a firm conviction -- a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people -- that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds and that, in fact, we have no choice. we have no choice, if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.

LAWTON: His speech earned high praise in many quarters.

Professor CHERYL SANDERS (Howard University Divinity School, Washington, D.C.): He could be any color making that same speech. He could be any color addressing the issue of race. Frankly, I think that's part of his appeal is that he's willing to address these very tough issues and not shy away from them. But he also brings a theological perspective that is genuine.


LAWTON: Obama's speech was in large part a response to a storm of criticism surrounding Jeremiah Wright, who just retired as senior pastor at the Senator's home church, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Wright has long been a lightning rod for controversy, but the situation escalated in recent weeks after television outlets played clips of some of his most incendiary statements from over the years strung together.

Sen. OBAMA: I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong, but divisive -- divisive at a time when we need unity, racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems.

LAWTON: Still, Obama said he could not disown his longtime mentor.

Sen. OBAMA: Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in the church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely, just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests or rabbis with which you strong disagree.

LAWTON: Wright's supporters say the recent media reports have distorted the full picture of the veteran pastor's ministry and his views.

Prof. SANDERS: Even if his language is offensive -- I'm offended by some of his language -- but the reality out of which he speaks is that black people have suffered in America and continue to suffer because of the unfairness of the system.

LAWTON: In an exclusive interview last month, Wright told us he believed the attacks were motivated by racism.

Reverend JEREMIAH WRIGHT (Former Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ): The issue is, you've got a black man running and you don't like it. And we got to keep this message before the public: you don't want a black president, he goes to a black church, they preach black theology -- black, black.

LAWTON: Many African-Americans also saw the controversy over Wright as an attack on the black church generally.

Prof. SANDERS: Because the black church has always had prophetic preachers. Prophetic voice goes all the way back to the days of slavery, when people were protesting being in bondage. And so protest is just kind of a part of how we do ministry.

Sen. OBAMA: That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or the beauty shop or around the kitchen table. And occasionally, it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning in the pulpit and in the pews.

LAWTON: Obama said the principles of his faith also offer solutions for the future.

Sen. OBAMA: What we have already achieved gives us hope, the audacity to hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

LAWTON: Obama's speech didn't satisfy all his critics and analysts are still debating the ultimate impact on his campaign. I'm Kim Lawton reporting.

ABERNETHY: We want to discuss the Obama speech now with Reverend Richard Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and with Reverend Robert Franklin, the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta and the author, most recently, of "Crisis in the Village," which is in part about the black church. He joins us from New York. Welcome to you both.

Bob Franklin in New York, what did you think of the Obama speech?

Dr. ROBERT FRANKLIN (President, Morehouse College): It was a courageous, anguished and inviting moral treatise on the state of race relations -- the history of race relations -- and I think the possibility of moving forward to building and strengthening the common ground that all Americans share.

ABERNETHY: Rich Cizik?

Reverend RICHARD CIZIK (Vice President for Governmental Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals): I thought it was an outrageous response to an outrageous speech in the sense that -- outrageous in a positive way. That may not strike you as the normal reaction to a speech. But Americans need this, believe me, as a nation that's been divided. Even Obama even in 2004 at the Democratic National Convention said, "We are neither a black America, a white America, but we are the United States of America." And finally we have a preacher-politician -- I would say there was as much preaching in his words as there were politics -- who is willing to seem step up and say what's really needs to be said about America on the subject. We've not had it before and I'm wonderfully encouraged by that. Now, am I completely satisfied? No.

ABERNETHY: Let me ask you both. There's been a lot of criticism -- Bob Franklin, let me begin with you -- there's been a lot of criticism of Obama for not going far enough to distance himself from some of, as Rich says, the more "outrageous" comments...

Rev. CIZIK: Even profane -- parts of his pastor's speech.

ABERNETHY: ... of Jeremiah Wright. Do you think he went far enough?

Dr. FRANKLIN: I think he met the test of most reasonable people. He used language of condemnation. He distanced himself from Reverend Wright's words.

ABERNETHY: Far enough?

Dr. FRANKLIN: He -- I think that he could -- what I would have liked to have heard, in fact is, the extent to which he is attempting to persuade Reverend Wright and others that they're wrong, that they need to change their mind, alter their thinking. I think that would have added greater moral authority and punch for me.

ABERNETHY: Rich Cizik, what did you think? Did he go far enough to distance himself?

Rev. CIZIK: Oh, I don't know. Some evangelicals were appalled by it. Some were encouraged by it. The range of reactions are as partisan as one gets. I mean, this is a political campaign. One is inclined, I think, to put your politics in front of your faith and let that dictate your response rather than see in the speech probably what we all need to see, which is that America has to come together. And we don't worship together as American evangelicals with black Christians. And because we don't worship together, we don't know this language of Jeremiah Wright. And yet, we have a history ourselves as evangelicals of preaching against the government. Saying things that Wright has said in another era, we've said before. I mean, we as well as the Presbyterians, Presbyterians...

Dr. FRANKLIN: And I think it is...

ABERNETHY: Yeah Bob.

Dr. FRANKLIN: I think it's also important to note, as Reverend Wright tried to point out in one of the clips, that that language of speaking truth to power, of condemning the misuse of power, of oppressing the poor and powerless is rooted in biblical models -- Ezekiel, Isaiah, Amos -- that's biblical language and, as Rich rightly points out, there's a long history of American prophetic discourse. But at the end of the day...

ABERNETHY: In both traditions, in both traditions.

Dr. FRANKLIN: Absolutely -- white preachers and black preachers that have spoken in that fashion. But generally we believe it is rooted in a love for the nation, a hope that it will be redeemed, that it will repent. That's what Dr. King -- that was the genius of Dr. King -- confrontation and an openness to negotiation.

ABERNETHY: Senator Obama seemed to invite everybody to get out of the "stalemate," he said, "that we're stuck in." Suppose there were this attempt at reconciliation again? What would it mean for black churches, for white churches, for synagogues, mosques? What would it mean? Rich?

Rev. CIZIK: Well, I think first of all, the dialogue is what is important. And frankly, it hasn't occurred. But here's the problem. Most whites in America fear that blacks want us to repent again for racism. And, in fact, there is need for repentance, right? And a conversion to a new way of thinking. But frankly we need to get beyond that conversation. A lot of young black preachers are willing to get beyond it as well and say, "Let's deal with health care. Let's deal with AIDS, HIV, the problems in America's inner cities. Let's deal with the problems." And frankly, that's what Obama has to do himself. And as he does that and reaches out with policies, I think that as much as important as going back to the days when we just debated over whether we're racist or not.

ABERNETHY: Bob Franklin, our time is almost up.

Dr. FRANKLIN: Obama represents...

ABERNETHY: Go ahead.

Dr. FRANKLIN: ... he represents a post-racial approach to engaging difference and oppression. But again looking forward in a hopeful fashion -- as Rich simply just pointed out -- a focus on what we have in common as Americans. Again, Dr. King did that. JFK did that. Obama has much of that appeal. And I hope that we can take his invitation to move forward. It has to be multi-racial, it has to be interfaith. And it has to start with what we have in common as the children of God.

ABERNETHY: Bob Franklin, Rich Cizik, many thanks to you both. We have much more commentary about the Obama speech and race and religion in America on the One Nation page of our Web site.