President Barack Obama's Charleston eulogy: 'Amazing Grace'

 President Barack Obama's Charleston eulogy: 'Amazing Grace'

President Barack Obama delivered a touching eulogy, a rousing political speech and a thoughtful meditation on race in America when he traveled to Charleston, South Carolina on Friday to speak at the funeral of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was gunned down last week by a racist terrorist during Bible study.

But the President's speech will be remembered for a moment at the end when the he launched into a solo of "Amazing Grace," that at first stunned the mourners and then brought them to their feet as they joined him in song.

Unlike past times Obama has confronted an act of violence, he knew the highest profile victim of the Charleston shooting personally. Obama met Pinckney as an early supporter of his 2008 presidential bid.

That personal connection differentiated Friday's eulogy from the funerals Obama keynoted after previous shootings. So, too, did the renewed questions on race spurred by the shooter's apparent motivations.

"None of us can or should expect a transformation in race relations overnight. Every time something like this happens, somebody says, 'We have to have a conversation about race,'" Obama said. "We talk a lot about race. There's no shortcut. We don't need more talk."

Howcee Productions Gospel BTR host #HOWCEE Thanks to Kevin Liptak, CNN White House Producer for this lead in information. We also Thank www.cnn,com for picture.