Leroy Hodge didn't mind throwing his hat into the political ring. He ran for mayor, city council and county commissioner. He did not win any of the posts.

Leroy Hodge

What he did win, with his zeal for equality and grassroots change, was the hearts of the people.

Mr. Hodge, 56, of Friendship, died Thursday of complications from an organ transplant.

Tall and energetic, with a salt-and-pepper beard, Mr. Hodge was intense. He was a labor lawyer who came to Pittsburgh from Los Angeles when an electrical union moved its headquarters here.

Later in his career, he advocated and worked for social service groups, including a stint as a counselor for a transitional program for youths with criminal pasts.

But he was most known for his fervor to alter the political climate for minorities and poor people in Pittsburgh.

He headed a group of blacks opposed to the stadium tax.

He pushed for the school board to hire a black superintendent.

He sought more black union work on government projects.

A decade ago, he drafted the Hodge plan, which called for city council districts to be redrawn to reflect the growth of black Americans in Pittsburgh.

Under the Hodge plan, there would be three majority black districts, which he thought would increase political power and equity on council.

When he had to argue the case before the state court in Philadelphia, the community pitched in to pay for his transportation.

The plan failed. But Mr. Hodge earned a reputation as a respected political analyst, said school board member Mark Brentley, a longtime friend.

"He would say the devil is in the detail and other groups sought his advice on political strategies."

Bill Robinson, county commissioner and longtime state representative, had known Mr. Hodge for 20 years.

"He was a radical who was interested in progressive government," said Robinson.

Robinson characterized Hodge as "an outsider who was not afraid to challenge leadership or the system. He wanted to turn things upside down."

A native of Spanish Harlem, Mr. Hodge attended City College of New York and was part of the Committee of 10, a group that in 1969 shut down the school to demand black studies and more affirmative action on campus.

He would later move to Los Angeles, where he earned a law degree from People's College of Los Angeles in 1981.

Mr. Hodge tried for change within the system. In 2002, he ran for the District 9 seat on city council; in 2001 he ran as a Democratic candidate for mayor; in 1999, he ran for Allegheny County commissioner.

He was never let in, said Robinson, because Hodge, a board member of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, would challenge the small, critical mass of black leadership in Pittsburgh.

Soccer was Mr. Hodge's other passion.

He played with the Pittsburgh Dynamo, a soccer club, and twice went to the national finals.

Two years ago, he showed up at Westinghouse High School to rebuild its team, said Principal Marilyn Barnett.

Under his tutelage, the Westinghouse team became more visible and grew in numbers. Mr. Hodge would come to the school cafeteria, walk around with his clipboard and notes and recruit players.

"He was focused on making sure the kids had basic skills and knowledge of the sport," said Barnett. "It opened up doors for more of our students to have interest in something other than the major sports."

Mr. Hodge is survived by his wife, Dana Schumacher, and three daughters, Melantha Hodge, Mandela Schumacher-Hodge, and Marisha Schumacher-Hodge, all of Friendship. Two children from a previous marriage, Forrest Hodge and Tania Hodge, live in New York City. He also is survived by three grandchildren and 11 brothers and sisters.

Friends will be received from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday in White Memorial Chapel in Point Breeze. A memorial service will be held Tuesday evening at a location to be determined. Burial will be private.