As the Rev. Jesse Jackson put it, presidential hopeful Barack Obama was present at the Atlanta Civic Center on Sunday even if he wasn't there.

"He is very much in this place, on everybody's lips, on everybody's minds," said Jackson as he prepared to enter the Trumpet Awards, a star-studded gala that celebrate black achievement.

As Jackson spoke, the best dressed folks in Atlanta strolled by, decked out in furs, evening gowns and tuxedos for the event that since 1993 has highlighted African-American champions from all walks of life.

On Sunday, the honorees included twins Dr. Vance Moss and Dr. Vincent Moss, who served in Afghanistan together as Army Reserve doctors, and Sheila Johnson, the first female African-American billionaire, but the roster was dominated by heavy hitters from the world entertainment — actors Halle Berry and Danny Glover, hip-hop artist Ludacris and NBA forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

But the headline star may have been the headline speaker, a relative unknown until last year. Michelle Obama, who brought a thunderous applause, proved that her husband was on "everybody's mind."

Obama seized the opportunity to tell Atlanta's black elite that her husband was the embodiment of the Rev. Martin Luther King's dream and to take thinly veiled swipes at Bill and Hillary Clinton.

In a powerful speech, she reminded the audience of the barriers facing African-Americans and told them that electing her husband president would change the way America looks at itself and the way the world looks at America.

"He is running for president to stand up for your dream," she said. "It is not about the color of his skin. It is because of the quality and consistency of his character."

She told the crowd "our time is now, not four years from now or eight years from now."

She alluded to the Clintons by saying the candidacy was not a fairy tale, as former President Bill Clinton recently referred to it.

Not everybody in the crowd backed Barak Obama for president. U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights hero, and former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young said before the speech they were firmly backing Hillary Clinton.

"I'm family with Hillary for the last 30 years," Young said. "She has been on the right side of all the issues as long as I have known her."

Lewis announced his support for Clinton before Obama's Iowa caucus victory this month.

"If I make it a commitment, I keep my commitments," Lewis said. "If he gets the nomination, I'll go out and campaign for him."

When Michelle Obama mentioned the notables in the audience, she did not acknowledge Lewis or Young.

But she mentioned Jackson, who ran for president in 1984 and 1988.

"It's been 20 years and many changes and America has gotten better," he said. "But there is some unfinished business."