Barack Obama took his campaign for president to the neighborhood level across America last night, including Richmond.

About 15 supporters gathered at the Military Retiree's Center in North Side. The meeting was one of 60 small gatherings in the area and 4,000 across the country. Supporters talked about Obama's campaign as a movement for grass-roots empowerment.

Richmond City Councilman E. Martin Jewell said Obama's campaign is about people taking their government back.

"This is the most phenomenal campaign I have seen in my whole life," he said.

"Yes, this is a relatively small crowd," he added. "But the crowds will crescendo into something mighty."

The get-together was billed as an "Old Fashioned Back Yard Fence Chat" about the 2008 presidential elections. Originally scheduled to be outdoors on the nearby Virginia Union University campus, it was moved to the retiree's club to avoid the heat.

Jesse Frierson, the event organizer, said the meeting was meant to encourage people to become team or block captains for Obama. He wore a "Yes, we can!" Obama T-shirt.

"Never in the minds, thoughts nor prayers of many did we realistically think we would ever live to see an African-American within a whisker's hair of being elected president of the United States," according to the announcement about the event.

"Through prayers, thoughts, hopes, wishes, dreams, blood, sweat, tears, dog bites, fights against water hoses, bombings, police baton beatings and arrests -- not to mention deaths by the multitudes -- now all of this may finally result in a very historic achievement for us all."

Richmond School Board member Evette L. Wilson said the presumptive Democratic nominee is a catalyst for change.

"Empowerment is very important for our communities," she said. "Once he is elected, it doesn't stop there. We must continue to exercise our stronger voice."

Dr. Lerla Joseph said she keeps voter-registration forms in her medical office and encourages patients to register. "Patients are excited to fill out the forms."

Each generation has a charismatic leader and Obama is the one for this time, she said.

"It's not just our job to put Barack in, but we need to make him accountable for all the changes he has promised and say, 'OK, brother, what's up?'" Joseph said.

Contact Carol Hazard at (804) 775-8023 or chazard@timesdispatch.com.