Willis Edwards dies at 66

Willis Edwards, civil rights and political activist in the African American community of Los Angeles and former leader of the Beverly Hills, Hollywood branch of the NAACP, who was a force behind its Image Entertainment industry awards controversy, died of cancer. He was 66 years.

Edwards died Friday at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, confirmed a spokesman for the hospital.

Edwards was well known in the circles of local and national African American Democratic Party and as a brash but endearing "fixer" who has worked in many elections, including the 1988 presidential campaign of Reverend Jesse Jackson.

He was able to break through through charm and potential obstacles to make presentations crucial maneuver or someone you admire in the best photographs.

Among his favorites efforts, has played an important role to ensure the national honor of Rosa Parks, civil rights hero later in his life and sit next to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, when President Clinton delivered the speech on the state 1999 'Union.

"Willis was really a creative genius. He could gain access to the White House or anywhere you wanted. He could have the doors open and the others could not," said former Congresswoman Diane Watson, of Edwards, who has worked as a volunteer and a paid consultant in the elections back in the race for a seat on the School Board of Los Angeles and the state Senate in 70 years. "It was a plug, was an agent. Nothing was impossible for Willis."

Except for a successful career in 1978 for a seat in the State Assembly, Edwards was mostly behind the scenes, but his motivation has always been about civil rights, Watson said Saturday. "Did you see how it feels to be left behind the line, and he would not have it," he said.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, also praised Edwards. "The legacy of Willis Edwards, who made the impossible possible, who fought for justice unfair, spoke strongly in places of silence and stood tall and brave as a leader when others were shrinking, "Villaraigosa has said in a statement.

Beyond racial discrimination, Edwards has fought a battle in the future. Almost died of AIDS 15 years ago, at a time when even some people in the civil rights movement of HIV considered a taboo subject.

Edwards, who was alone and never publicly discussed his sexuality or is infected with HIV, recovered thanks to new drugs and in 2001 took part in a national convention of the National Association. for the Advancement of Colored People on the difficulties of living with HIV.

National Chairman of the organization, Roslyn M. Brock, Saturday, said Edwards, who served aboard the National NAACP for more than a decade, "to promote and protect the image of African Americans in the arts and destroyed the barriers to honest conversation about HIV / AIDS in communities of color. "

Edwards was elected president of the NAACP Beverly Hills / Hollywood branch in 1982.

He convinced the then president Brandon Tartikoff of NBC broadcast nationally Image Awards, a star of the film event that focused on improving the image of the black front and behind the scenes of Hollywood. But later, Edwards was involved with a black television star.

In 1988, comedian Arsenio Hall called Edwards a "mafia" and "tennis shoe pimp" and threatened to sue Edwards has said publicly that Hall had not hired enough blacks working on his talk show, within Hall was $ 40,000 to the NAACP.

Edwards filed a defamation lawsuit against the City, said Edwards, was settled by a considerable sum.

Edwards was elected president of the branch, but resigned in 1989 in the same year of criticism that the group's finances are not managed properly and that has made a payment of $ 25,000 to help produce images of the awards.

Friends described Edwards as a modest life in an apartment in Hollywood, no interest in luxury, but thrive on access to celebrities and power.

Born in Texas in 1946, Edwards was raised in Palm Springs and enrolled at the State University of Los Angeles, where he was the first African American to be elected student body president.

Compiled by the military, was slightly wounded in the explosion of a landmine in the Vietnam War and was awarded a Bronze Star. He later worked as director of student services at USC blacks.