Hello All:
May 21, 2019 is Primary Day - a pivotal day in Philadelphia. And no where is it more important than in District 3 of West Philadelphia, where Jannie Blackwell is running for re-election.
Over the past few years you've read some of my commentaries on this great public servant - including my most recent, where I said she was my top 10 elected officials. And you know that I don't play when it comes to servants of the people: They either do their job or they hear from me.
| The Hon. Jannie L. Blackwell, Philadelphia City Council's 3rd District |
Jannie Blackwell has not only been in the heart of West Philadelphia - no, Philadelphia - for the entire time that she's been in office, but even prior to that when she worked in the school system trying to provide Philadelphia youth with quality education.
She has fought, and continues to fight gentrification in her district, which is home to University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University Graduate Center, Drexel University, as well as other prominent institutions. Her pushback on gentrification could have more muscle if the City Council would back her on making sure that designated neighborhoods remained priority for Philadelphian residents, along with the requisite funds to renovate homes, while also providing programs for first time homebuyers who would otherwise not have the financial wherewthal to purchase their homes.
| JANNIE BLACKWELL meeting with NACA Founder & CEO Bruce Marks, along with Philadelphia Administrator Debra White prior to the Homebuyers Convention |
In addition to her efforts to bring quality housing to the West Philadelphia area, she's been involved in community based job opportunities, employment, training, immigrant rights, educational reform.
She, along with Stan Straughter, is working on the development of "Africatown," which will be for business and residential development. They recently engaged community high school students to come up with their vision of an ideal community. She also serves on the PFDC Commission on abandoned properties, as well as the commission on affordable housing.
Her efforts made it possible for NACA - The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America - to host an intensive, comprehensive homebuyers conference in November of 2018, where 600 families obtained free down payment and closing costs to purchase their own home. Additionally, she is working in conjunction with NACA to expand their homesave program, whereby homeowners who are victims of predatory lenders, or pernicious tax fees are able to save their homes from foreclosure via NACA's HOMESAVE PROGRAM.
I have covered political figures from national, state and local - from New York to Los Angeles, to Washington DC - from Presidents to Congressmen/women, to so called powerbrokers - from presidents Carter through President Obama. And they all have their positive and negative points. Blackwell's negatives are few and far between.
But what I was most impressed with was Jannie Blackwell's interaction with her constituents. She is the only City Council Representative who has an ongoing relationship with her communities - on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Whenever I visit her office, there are always constituents there - some who have issues they need help with, and others who just want to stop by and say "hello." She is not just an elected official, or a politician: JANNIE BLACKWELL IS A STATESWOMAN OF THE HIGHEST ORDER.
And to be that, you have to care about people, love what you do, make it your life's work, and devote yourself to making the lives of your constitutents better. Is she perfect? Absolutely not. But then, no one is. The difference is that she keeps working at it, focusing on making it better and better.
She sponsors an annual free Christmas celebration for the homeless at the Convention Center -including entertainment, food, a gift for each and every child, 12 and under. This year will be her 22nd year.
| Thousands of Gifts for Jannie's Annual Free Christmas Party at the Convention Center Thousands of Families are served annually |
During the summer, while New York Politicians are charging people $150+ to come to their birthday ceremony, Jannie Blackwell hosts a free birthday bash to honor those who have supported her, while simultaneously feeding the homeless.
She hosts a monthly meeting of the Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrants to solidify relations and interactions between African American and African/Caribbean immigrants in Philadelphia.
| Jannie Blackwell at the Black Women's History Month Celebration March 2019 |
Her proposed special commemoration for 2019 - marking the 400 year Black people were brought to America as unpaid servants - aka slaves, was adopted by the city council. She has established a commission to study the impact of Blacks in the History of Philadelphia since 1619.
It is widely understood that not returning Jannie Blackwell to office would cause Philadelphia to loose their strongest and most consistent ally. It is also recognized that there are forces supporting her opponent who would deliver the Black community directly into the hands of gentrification, which will lead to the evisceration of the community.
I've heard some very hostile and insipid statements leveled at Jannie Blackwell, and I can only conclude that this is an effort to confuse the ignorant, and poison the minds of the less well informed. When someone works in your behalf, takes a stand for you, and puts in the hours above and beyond those ordinarily required in your behalf, that is the person you back up, no matter what.
There is a tendency to develop convenient amnesia at times, and fall prey to trends that don't serve our highest and best good. Others have been guilty of such ignominious choices in the past - most notably, New York - when they decided that Mario Cuomo had been governor too long, and elected George Pataki, who proceeded to strip New York of all its safeguards, rights, programs, and benefits.
Now, as a result of listening to the meanstream media, instead of using intelligence, New Yorkers, who worked long and hard all their lives, can no longer afford to live there.
Philadelphia cannot afford to make those kinds of life altering mistakes - not when you are the very target of those who would come in push you out as fast here as they have residents of Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens and other areas.
An educator, one of her major concerns is quality education. She has been honored and recognized for her continued efforts to upgrade the Philadelphia education system:
| A mosiac mural dedicated to Jannie Blackwell on the 57th & Spruce Street Wall of the Andrew Hamilton School |
| Mosaic of Jannie by the children of Andrew Hamilton School on the 57th & Spruce Street Wall |
it's wonderful that Jannie Blackwell has been endorsed by the Democratic party, but the most important endorsers and supporters are YOU, THE VOTERS. The Inquirer made the mistake of miscategorizing Jannie Blackwell as being "silent." So far from the truth it was infuriating. She's anything but "silent" - but we cannot, must not allow the meanstream media to define who our leaders are, or what they stand for.
It's up to Philadelphia to maintain it's own integrity - to support consistent leaders, while at the same time building on promises of the future. That means Re-Electing JANNIE BLACKWELL TO CITY COUNCIL
NOW THAT YOU KNOW
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
VOTE ON MAY 21, 2019 - IF YOU ARE IN ANOTHER DISTRICT, MAKE SURE YOU VOTE FOR YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, VOTE FOR CANDIDATES FOR THE COURT OF COMMON PLEASES, AND OTHER PIVOTAL POSITIONS ON THE POLLS
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
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