Shrieks of Barack Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes, we can” echoed throughout LD’s Kitchen as the newly minted Democratic presidential nominee’s speech was shown Thursday night at the Mulberry Street restaurant.

“Yes! Yes!,” were the shouts from some of the 70 or so who gathered for the event, one of 17 such parties statewide organized by the Mississippi Democratic Party.

“He wants what is best for all the people,” said Joann Parks, enjoying food and beverages with friends as the Illinois senator formally accepted the nomination.

Obama’s nomination clinched the first top spot for a black candidate on a major party’s presidential ticket and came on the 45th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 — a fact not lost on those listening to speeches from the Denver convention.

“This is an important time for black people. I’m happy,” said Shelby Major, taking in the speech with others reached through extensive voter participation drives by the party and the Obama campaign.

T-shirts were available for sale, with proceeds going to the campaign, said Patricia Sanders-Brown, a co-captain of the Obama campaign’s Vicksburg effort. She was joined by co-captain and former North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young in encouraging young people who attended the party to vote or register to vote if they had not done so.

“Whatever it takes to get the vote out,” Young said.

Part of the campaign’s extensive use of technology to energize young voters was used for the convention’s seminal moment — the sending of text messages by cell phone to reach supporters across the country. Fliers were available at the viewing party for those wishing to send text messages dealing with specific issues such as the economy and the war in Iraq.

Adrienne Brown, 23, a University of Southern Mississippi senior majoring in communication, found out more about Obama with the help of such social networking sites as Facebook.

“I just see goodness in his heart,” Brown said.

As Obama spoke of plans for middle-class tax cuts and a new energy policy, supporters expressed hope for changes in the overall mood of the country.

“Middle-class and poor people are tired of being let down,” said J.L. Mitchell. “I think we’ll be very successful in November.”

State Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, an early supporter of Obama’s chief rival in the primaries, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, switched. Flaggs, who sponsored food for the Vicksburg viewing party, drew distinctions between Obama and Republican John McCain in terms of both Iraq and the role of government in people’s lives.

Also, Flaggs addressed claims in recent weeks by McCain’s campaign that Obama’s short public resume — Obama was a state senator in Illinois for eight years before his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004 — made him too inexperienced to be president by contrasting it with President Bush’s six years as governor of Texas.

“Obama is the answer,” Flaggs said. “He’s more than fit. He’s ready.”

Cities in Mississippi where similar parties were scheduled to watch Obama’s acceptance speech included Bay St. Louis, Columbus, Fayette, Greenville, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Hazlehurst, Holly Springs, Indianola, Jackson, Meridian, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Poplarville and Tupelo.