Following in the footsteps of her father, the late Edgar Campbell, former councilman, ward leader, and clerk of quarter sessions, often referred to as the Dean of Black Politics, Carol Campbell became a driving force.
Mayor Michael Nutter enjoyed a long political friendship with her.
"She had a voice and a presence that really put her in a position to be a voice for the voiceless," Mayor Nutter said.
Campbell, who had been confined to a wheelchair in recent years, became the leader of the African American ward leaders, was appointed by the Democratic Party in 2006 to the city council seat vacated by Nutter when he decided to run for mayor. As a member of the Democratic National Committee, she wielded great political influence with direct access to Barack and Michelle Obama:
"She could pick up the phone even from her hospital room and give a call to the Obama family," Reverend Robert Shine of the Statewide Black Clergy said.
Campbell passed away Wednesday morning at Methodist Hospital after a long battle with lung illness. Congressman Bob Brady, whose known her for many years, says Campbell was one of a kind.
"She was a champion for the underdog, she was a champion for the little people and she's going to be greatly missed by the little people," Congressman Brady said.
Even her political rivals had nice things to say about her today. Councilman Curtis Jones, who successfully ran against her for council, says in a statement: "Today is a sad day in Philadelphia. A titan has transitioned. She was well respected by friend and foe alike."
