Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has called on black Americans to be role models. He addressed the NAACP national convention in Ohio Monday night.

The country's first black presumptive presidential nominee addressed the nation's largest black organization, undaunted by criticism that he's spent too much time dressing down black America.

Sen. Barack Obama says "when we are taking care of our own stuff, then a lot of other folks are gonna be interested in joining up and working with us to take care of America's stuff."

He audience at the NAACP National Convention in Cincinnati obviously did not share the views of Jesse Jackson who's in hot water for speaking frankly into the hot mikes at the Fox News Channel.

But Obama stood pat, demanding blacks demand more of themselves.

Sen. Obama said "no matter how much money we invest in our communities...None of it will make a difference at least not enough of a difference if we also at the same time don't seize more responsibility in our own lives."

Each argument for personal responsibility was met with thunderous approval which Obama's rival, John McCain, hopes to get when he speaks here on education Wednesday.