Willie Campbell, Democratic mentor was 90

I had not heard of Willie Grace Campbell until Karen Wada profiled her in Los Angeles Magazine in 2004, writing that she "has changed American politics, one cup of tea at a time." Campbell was quietly influential here and in national Democratic circles for decades. Consider that the women who valued Campbell's friendship and wisdom shared at small gatherings on Bunker Hill included Hillary Rodham Clinton, Maxine Waters, Diane Watson and Kathleen Brown. "She was a mentor to many of the women in politics and the advocacy community," Rep. Jane Harman says in today's Times obit. "She was always the youngest [acting] one in the group, with a ready smile, enormous energy and zest and wisdom." Clinton issued a statement saying that "Willie Campbell was an inspiration to me and many others in her unflagging engagement, in her respect for all points of view, in her commitment to civil rights and justice, in her grace and wit, and in her great gift for enduring friendships." Campbell died at home Monday of heart failure. She had recently been vice chair of the African Development Foundation. Her daughter, Nancy Duff Campbell, is co-president of the National Women's Law Center in Washington.