Rev. Sullivan died April 24 as the sixth of his African-African American summits, originally slated for May in Abuja, Nigeria, had been postponed. Its shelving was due to scheduling concerns not related to Rev. Sullivan�s health, spokespersons said.

"It is my father�s wish that we continue our efforts in his mission and keep his fight for Africa, particularly the sixth African-African American Summit, on course," Hope Sullivan-Rose, the reverend�s daughter, said in a statement. Ms. Sullivan-Rose, deputy summit manager of the gathering, said she will lead the summit efforts on her father�s behalf.

The Philadelphia-based Rev. Sullivan, who in 1971 became the first Black to serve on the board of directors of General Motors Corp., was best known as the "Lion of Zion" for his outspokenness against injustice and for "The Sullivan Principles," a code of conduct he created in the 1970s for U.S. businesses in South Africa during the apartheid era. Rev. Sullivan expanded his principles to include businesses operating worldwide.

His four decades of civil rights work earned him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush. He also received the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from President Clinton in 1999.

Rev. Staccato Powell�who succeeded Rev. Sullivan as director and CEO of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, the nationwide job training organization Rev. Sullivan founded in 1964 in a Philadelphia abandoned jailhouse�said he had "mixed" emotions about his friend�s death.

"I applaud his work and his legacy, but the weight of the loss is heavy," Rev. Powell said. "We�ll go on. He prepared us to do that. And we�ll do that."

Reverend Sullivan was a great supporter of the Nation of Islam.  In the early 1970s he donated a large sum of money to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad which was reported in the Muhammad Speaks newspaper. On two occasions during the 1980s, Rev. Sullivan opened his church to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan when many other preachers in the city were reluctant to do so.

"The highlight for me was during the second African-African American summit which was held in Gabon," said Jehronn Muhammad, who was a member of Rev. Sullivan�s church during the 1980s. "Reverend Sullivan provided Minister Farrakhan with a special invitation to attend. As the summit began, it was evident the hotels had been over booked; and when the leaders from America arrived, they had less than stellar accommodations.

"This caused a negative undercurrent which threatened the summit itself.  But Minister Farrakhan addressed the august body and put the issue to rest, thereby creating an atmosphere where a very successful summit was held," he recalled.

Linda Waters Richardson, president of the Black United Fund of Pa., said that Rev. Sullivan also was very much involved at the grassroots level.

"The legacy of Rev. Sullivan is something that we will begin to recognize over time. The loss of this great man will reverberate for many years," she said.   

"He also had a role in the leadership of many organizations who are still today trying to work on African American economic development.  In 1972, Reverend Sullivan along with Dorothy Height and Amiri Baraka were the incorporators of the National Black United Fund," Ms. Waters-Richardson said. "So you saw three diverse personalities from diverse backgrounds coming together with the goal of developing African American economic infrastructure."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement: "It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Reverend Leon Sullivan.  Reverend Sullivan was known and respected throughout the world for the bold and innovative role he played in the global campaign to dismantle the system of apartheid in South Africa.

"Reverend Sullivan showed us all how much one individual can do to change lives and societies for the better," he said.

Social satirist Dick Gregory, who was in Philadelphia appearing at an event sponsored by Muhammad Mosque No. 12 on the day the news broke concerning Rev. Sullivan�s passing, reflected on the humanness of the man.

"When you think about Leon, the best way to honor him is by being happy, don�t do any drugs and don�t do any alcohol. Just be honest.  Smile sometimes when you don�t feel like smiling and just be kind and humble," he said.