Obama seen as a symbol

A poster of Barack Obama covers most of a display window at Jackie Ryan's Afro-centric boutique in South Los Angeles' Leimert Park Village, just one indication of the fist-bumping pride that Obama's presidential bid has inspired in the historic cultural hub of the city's African-American community. Tony Castro in the Daiiy News.

"As an African-American, it's a benchmark for us," Ryan, 70, said Friday morning, the day after Obama became the first African-American presidential nominee of a major American political party.

"It brings hope for people who haven't had (any) for three (hundred) or four hundred years.