"I am not one of the most divisive" black spiritual leaders, Wright said. "I'm one of the most descriptive."
Wright received a long, loud standing ovation. He became an issue in the presidential race in March after the circulation of videos of old sermons in which he accused the US government of racism and of flooding black neighborhoods with drugs.
In a sermon days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Wright said that "America's chickens are coming home to roost" after it dropped atomic bombs on Japan, and that the United States "supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans."
The videos knocked Obama's presidential campaign off stride. The Illinois senator distanced himself from the comments of Wright, who is retiring as pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Obama and his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Hillary Clinton, have spoken at the NAACP fund-raising event in the past, as has former President Bill Clinton.
The Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit NAACP, said at a news conference before yesterday's dinner that he was excited to invite the "hottest brother in America right now."
"It just presented an opportunity for us to be able to set the record straight outside of any political consideration," Anthony said.
At a news conference in Coral Gables, Fla., yesterday, Senator John McCain criticized the videotaped remarks made by Wright.
The presumptive Republican nominee said it was "beyond belief" that Wright had likened the Romans at the time of Jesus' crucifixion to the Marines, and had suggested that the United States was acting like Al Qaeda under a different flag.
"I can understand why people are upset about this," he said.
Until now, McCain had largely avoided discussing Wright's views. He has called on the North Carolina Republican Party to pull an advertisement that focuses on the minister.
McCain said yesterday that he did not believe Obama shared Wright's views. But he suggested that Obama had made the subject fair play by declaring in an interview on "Fox News Sunday" that questions about Wright were "a legitimate political issue."
The Obama campaign accused McCain of breaking his pledge to run a respectful campaign.
Material from The New York Times was included in this report.
