Blackwell wins another term

City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell looked like a kid with a new toy. Last week, in a City Hall conference room across from her office, Blackwell turned a clear plastic backpack over and over in her hands, nodding with satisfaction. "As education chair, I'm always trying to find ways for us to be more effective in what we do in public schools," said Blackwell, a Democrat who yesterday won a second term as the City Council representative from District 3, which includes University City. With 96.4 percent of the precincts reporting last night, Blackwell garnered 93.7 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Kelly Dutton. The transparent backpack may be part of the answer to the violence plaguing Philadelphia's schools. According to Blackwell, it would make any contraband students were carrying -- such as illegal weapons or drugs -- readily visible to security personnel. But Blackwell knows that one change -- be it see-through backpacks, or so-called "magic wands," the hand-held metal detectors now used in some buildings -- will not by itself eliminate the problem of kids hurting and killing their peers. She knows this because she was an English teacher in the same school system she has been working to reform -- before winning the Council seat her husband, former U.S. Rep. Lucien Blackwell, had occupied. Still, Jannie Blackwell perseveres. "All of it's a deterrent," she said. "There's no foolproof system? You have schools with 16, 20 and 30 exits and entrances, very old buildings?there's no way to stop it all." Blackwell said she fought during her first four-year term to make the Philadelphia public school system accountable for its spending, since many of the taxpayers who fund school operations no longer have children in school. She has encouraged schools to take advantage of the volunteers available in their neighborhoods. She noted that parents and retirees have much to offer students. Blackwell has also worked to bring educational programs about AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases to city schools. Somewhat controversially, she has pushed for on-campus condom distribution -- which, by law, can only be done through independent health centers located within schools. "I called on the city agencies to work together to share resources," Blackwell said. Budget cuts had forced some schools to choose between hiring additional teachers to cut class sizes, or hiring specialists like librarians. If schools used community libraries instead of paying for a school librarian, the city could afford to pay for more teachers, Blackwell explained. She also praised the University's involvement in the community through programs like the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps, an umbrella organization that oversees many school-centered tutoring and mentoring activities. "There are many, many programs and many ways that the University of Pennsylvania is helping and that are needed and that make a big difference in the lives of children," Blackwell said. Ira Harkavy, director of the Center for Community Partnerships, said he has known Blackwell for a decade in a variety of contexts. He praised her ability to bring diverse communities together and her genuine interest in the welfare of West Philadelphians. "She has also played a crucially supportive role in the work that we've done in the public schools in West Philadelphia," Harkavy said. He added that Blackwell believes schools can be centers for rebuilding communities. "She has been someone who has advocated for the best interests of the community and has seen the ways that Penn could both contribute to the West Philadelphia community and also advance its own teaching, research and service missions," Harkavy said. City and Commonwealth Relations Director Paul Cribbins said Blackwell has helped the University by pushing for changes in city zoning ordinances necessary for the construction of Biological Research Buildings I and II, which are part of the Medical Center. "Our overall relationship with the councilwoman has been very positive," he said. "She's been a good supporter for the University and has worked with us closely on problems of concern to the University and the community." Among these problems, in Blackwell's view, are housing and homelessness. She has fought for the placement of outdoor, European-style public toilets everywhere from the new Avenue of the Arts on Broad Street in Center City to 52nd and Market streets. She has also urged the construction of more homeless shelters. The Rendell administration has not always taken Blackwell's side, though. "Sometimes it takes a while before you learn how you work together, and you learn to trust one another," she said. "I think we've reached that point in this whole fight to help the homeless." Blackwell has also worked to increase the availability of affordable housing. And she has supported street vending and other economic enterprises that benefit local residents. She is proud of the extra chairs outside her office, which hold the overflow of residents seeking help on a daily basis. "I think that an elected official has to not only vote on legislation but to try to come up with legislation to service the district, and I think that an elected official should also work hard on constituent services, which I do," Blackwell said. Her mottos -- "Politics is an open-ended opportunity to make life better for others" and "There's a solution to every problem" -- may seem oddly idealistic to veteran politicians. But Blackwell sticks by her unique approach, choosing to view what some would call urban scourges -- such as street vending -- as opportunities. "Realistically, we know that we're not going to always satisfy everybody, but we try, and that's what you have to do," she added. "I find that if a person knows that you're trying, that's all they expect. They know you can't always win."

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