When Sen. Barack Obama spoke yesterday in his Oakland rally, his words were punctuated by calls of "Yes!" and "Change!" that echoed like amens in a church hall.

Like most of the Illinois senator's events, it drew a large, enthusiastic and eclectic crowd. For many, especially African Americans, the resonance was deep and emotional, those interviewed said.

Folks weren't wearing their Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, but the rally at times had a revival flavor, with Obama supporters standing on chairs, clapping and shouting his praises, holding up placards and posters, and chanting "Yes, we can! Yes, we can!"

"I love you, Barack," a young woman yelled out during his speech.

"I love you, too," he replied.

Before the rally, in the slow, shuffling line outside Soldiers & Sailors Military Muesuem and Memorial was Cherine Mann, 36, of Penn Hills, who took her daughter, Laurynn Morgan, 10, out of school that morning so they could attend the rally.

An African-American candidate going this far didn't seem likely, or even possible, for many.

"Just because in the United States, I didn't think a black man could make it that far. Unfortunately. I wanted him to."

And now that he is?

"I'm so excited and overjoyed and hopeful, and I hope he goes far enough to be our president," Ms. Mann said, beaming.

Laurynn looked up at her mother and accused her of stealing her answer.

Yahru I. Wilkerson, 21, is adamantly and proudly from Homewood.

"I think people gravitate toward Obama because they realize it's time for change and he's the best candidate possible for bringing unity to the people," he said, adding, "He's a positive role model that my community needs."

Mr. Wilkerson said he believed Mr. Obama's campaign has influenced race relations nationwide.

"I think he got people talking about it again. Racism was never extinct. Now that he's the presidential candidate, it brings it back to the light and people are having more open discussions about racial relations."

Would Mr. Wilkerson support him if Mr. Obama were white?

"Nah," he said, without hesitation.

Brenda Howard, 56, of Clairton, says she would. She shared the warm emotional response many African Americans interviewed at the event yesterday expressed about the Illinois senator.

Many said what was not so crucial was the race of the candidate, but the candidate's willingness to talk about race.

Referring to the speech about race Mr. Obama delivered recently in Philadelphia, she said, "He discusses things that people don't want to discuss out in the open in this country, and those are things we need to discuss. He talks about things most black people talk about at home with their families but not out in the open. Everyone's so touchy touchy about race."

Ms. Howard wrapped her arm around her friend, Karen Kirol, a white woman, and said, "This is my buddy here ... look at us!"

Estrella Brooks, "50-something," of East Liberty, said she was optimistic race relations will improve and says an African-American candidate can be a catalyst.

"He has affected race relations, positively. It is demonstrated here today. You see that there's the intermingling of race relations in Pittsburgh who were standing side by side hoorahing and hurraying."

The watchword "change" was in the air.

"Yes. It's time," said Ms. Brooks. "It's time for that change as well as time for a whole lot of things to change in this world. It's 2008. Let's get ready and let's get real."

The scene outside the hall after the speech had a bit of a festival feel, with merchants selling buttons and T-shirts and people milling about.

"PA Momma for Obama" read a sign in one vehicle zipping down Fifth Avenue after the speech. A woman in the passenger seat pumped her fist in jubilation as the driver beeped the horn.

"At first I thought he was change for change's sake, but he's for change with a plan," said Todd Yoder, 45, of Lititz, Lancaster County, after seeing Mr. Obama.

Mr. Yoder and his wife drove four hours to Pittsburgh yesterday because their 18-year-old daughter, Adrienne, is looking at the University of Pittsburgh. She got a ticket and they decided to try to get into the rally.

"It was my idea to come, but he got in," says his wife, Kathleen Yoder, 44, who listened to the event via a loudspeaker outside the front doors of the hall along with about 100 other ticketless supporters.

"This was her insidious plan to turn an Independent into a Democrat," Mr. Yoder said.

Evidently, it worked. He now supports Mr. Obama.

"He is the best candidate," he said. "This country does need to change and I think he has got some solutions."

"I love the $4,000 tax credit for college kids [that Mr. Obama's promoting] and that they have to earn it," Mrs. Yoder added.

"It's nice to see my daughter, who just turned 18, getting involved and standing and cheering," Mr. Yoder said. "It's better than going to a museum."