COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Room 696, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, May 8, 2003 9:30 a.m. - - - BILL 030078 - An Ordinance naming and designating the West Philadelphia Regional Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia located at 125 South 52nd Street as the "Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia." - - - PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN TASCO COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR COUNCILMAN ANGEL ORTIZ COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO COUNCILMAN MICHAEL NUTTER - - - V A R A L L O, INCORPORATED LITIGATION SUPPORT SERVICES 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 I N D E X BILL 030078 PAGE ELLIOT SHELKROT, Free Library ................ JEAN FOSTER .................................. THOMAS W. BLACKWELL, IV .................... 3 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078
Good morning, everyone. This is the public hearing Committee of the Whole regarding Bill No. 030078. I would ask Mr. McPherson to please read the title of the bill.
Bill No. 030078, naming and designating the West Philadelphia Regional Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia located at 125 South 52nd Street as the "Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia."
Good morning. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. I'm Elliott Shelkrot. I'm the President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and my testimony will be very brief. I just want you to know that the Free Library, and especially the Free Library's Board of Trustees, is honored to rename, at your request, the West Philadelphia Regional Library in honor of 4 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 Lucien Blackwell. He was indeed a distinguished leader in West Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, in the state, and across the country. And we are honored to respond if this resolution is passed. Thank you.
Thank you very much. At this time the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. We would like to thank my colleague Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown for this absolute honor. Obviously, I won't have anything to say, being a member of this Body, but we're absolutely honored. Thank you, Blondell. We'll always love you for this. I would like to introduce members of the Blackwell family who are here and ask them to stand when I do so that you will know who they are. Jean and John Foster. This is Lu's sister, this is older sister Jean and John Foster. Her daughter, Pat Harris is in the back, my niece. To the right of them, Patricia Ray, this is Lu's daughter and clone, as you can see. Her son Bobby is right next to her, our grandson. Next to her is another look-alike, 5 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 he's just a little browner, Tommy Blackwell, IV. And to his right Trina, my daughter-in-law, Trina Blackwell. Thank you, Madam President. We thank you all for coming out this morning. (Applause.)
The next witnesses are Thomas W. Blackwell, IV, and Jean Foster.
My name is Jean foster. As Jannie just introduced me, I'm a former Blackwell. I've been a Foster for 52 years. I had a wonderful brother. We loved him so very much and he loved us. There's not a day goes by that I don't think about him. Congressman Blackwell was a very special person. I'm going to call him Lu now. Lu and I, we grew up in a large family. We grew up in a wonderful family, Blackwell family from West Philadelphia. We had wonderful parents, my mom and dad. My mom and dad had a grocery store. And we learned a long time ago how to treat people by 6 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 working in the grocery store. My mom and dad taught us that. And they also taught us to always look out for the unfortunate. And there's not a Blackwell that won't do that. My mom and dad fed anyone who came into that store and said they were hungry, and we saw that all through our lives. And it was pitted into Lucien. And then when Lucien decided that he wanted to run for State Rep, the entire family was behind him all the way, every step of the way. We were right there. I was with the Philadelphia School System for years. And after school, right 14 there with Lucien. And as Lucien would speak to 15 people and if I would say afterwards, I would say, 16 "You know, everything that my brother is telling you 17 is the truth, the things that he would talk about, 18 because I know because he's been my brother all 19 these years." My little brother. I always called 20 him my little brother. 21 Lucien and I, we served on many 22 committees together. As a mater of fact, we were on 23 the advisory committee when they built this new 24 library. We were very happy for that. We were on 25 the advisory committee when they built the Y there 7 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 in West Philadelphia. My brother saw to it that they had a skating rink there at 63rd and Cobbs Creek. I was with him then. Lu wanted everything for West Philadelphia, and Philadelphia, that could be had. And he loved children. He felt our children needed to experience some of the things the children live outside of the City would have. Lu always talked about, we need more grass and trees for our children to look at. And education, he was very interested in. Lu also was part of that revitalization for 52nd Street. So all these things we worked together, and I was proud to be a part of it. Lucien never let -- like I said before, never let anyone go hungry or let anyone for need. But let me say this about my brother also. Even though his district was in West Philadelphia, Lucien loved people all over Philadelphia. And people knew that. And people came to him. We would be out in the street; everybody knew Lucien Blackwell. And they would come to Lucien. Lucien loved, not only West Philadelphia, his district, he loved Philadelphia. So any honor that this Council sees fit to give to my brother will be deserving. And 8 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 I'm not saying that because he's my brother and I loved so dearly, but because he earned it. Thank you very much.
Good morning. First let me start off by saying that we consider it a great honor that you would even consider doing something like this -- I should say for my father but, actually, I would say for my family. It's greatly appreciated. I watched my father grow in politics. The same as I watch him grow in stature from a little boy. Some people call it a self-made man. Some people will define my father as that. But my father was spiritually led in everything that he did. I used to watch my father shave in the morning when I was a little kid. And a lot of times, a father and a son have conversations that mothers and sons don't have. And every aspect of my life just about, I'm told, has been almost a repeat of his life. Since his passing, I've reflected on a 9 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 lot of things that I was taught by him. I used to work on the waterfront. I left there as president of Local 1332 before they merged the locals. When I first went on the waterfront, they used to call me "Lu," even though my father was there and I had a brother named Lu. And I used to answer to Lu because, you know, I was proud of who he was. I was proud of what he represented and what my family represented. But my father would always refer to his father, because that's where it all started. My father was the epitome of his father. I once recall my father referring to his father as a general. " I said, he didn't mean it that way. He meant a general in life. And what general at that point meant, "general" meant the top. I used to watch my father go up to complete strangers and offer to them help. And this is before the saying "quality of life" became a popular phrase. I remember being 5 and 6 years old and walking past -- at that time they would call them derelicts. It became popular to call them homeless now. I remember as a youngster walking by 10 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 people and my father reaching his hand out to help them. And he would often tell me and my brother -- we would pass them, and he would send my brother and I back to offer them whatever assistance that we could, monetarily or whatever. I watched 52nd Street corridor grow. I watched my father be a part of that. Actually, my father was a part of a lot of firsts that happened, not only in West Philadelphia, but in this entire City because he loved the City of Philadelphia. My daughter frequents the library there on 52nd Street. She's there almost every day. So it would be an honor for her to know that if that's changed to her grandfather's name, I'm sure she would have her daughter there. I do have grandkids. My father believed in education. I remember my father -- we didn't live too far from a Catholic school on 47th and Springfield at the time. He would always comment how when those kids would come home from school, seem like they would be walking bent over because they had so many books. And then he would look at the public school kids and talk about how they didn't have many books. So, you know, when you have libraries in 11 05/08/03 - WHOLE - BILL 030078 your community and you have leadership -- I'm talking about from the family -- that encourages kids to go libraries. And then when you have libraries or any institutions that are named after people that you have actually walked with and were able to touch, it means something. It means that they connect. To have libraries named after people that actually earned things that people know, that they can relate, they can tell their kids about, that makes them feel like they're a part of something special. My aunt mentioned the YMCA. My son plays basketball. He's actually a third ranked point guard in the nation. He's 15 years old. And I remember the old Y that I used to be a part of, that I used to go to. When you know that you're a part of something that has grown to be what it is today, you want to see that continue to grow. So as I said, we're honored that you would even consider it. And of course, we're in favor of it.
So we thank you on behalf of my family. " But my father believed in right. As my grandfather always said, you do right first. And we believe this is the right thing to do. But not only for him, but for others who have done things. But in particular, because this is my father, of course, I'm going to say, please do it. Thank you very much.
Is there anyone else that would like to say a few words? (No response.)
Seeing none, this will conclude our public hearing. - - - 13 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC MEETING COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - - - Thursday, May 8, 2003 - - - Public Meeting conducted by the Committee of the Whole, held in Room 696, City Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the above date, to consider action on the following: BILL 030078. - - - PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN TASCO COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR COUNCILMAN ANGEL ORTIZ COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO COUNCILMAN MICHAEL NUTTER - - - 14 05/08/03 - WHOLE - PUBLIC MEETING
We will now go into our public meeting. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Bill No. 030078 be moved out of this Committee with a favorable representation, with a further recommendation that Rules of Council be suspended to allow for first reading at the next Council Session. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the Bill No. 030078 be reported out of Committee with a recommendation, also a recommendation that the Rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next Council Session. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. 15 05/08/03 - WHOLE - PUBLIC MEETING Thank you. (Council adjourned at 9:45 a.m.) - - - 16 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of May 8, 2003, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. RE: COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ___________________________ Lisa C. Bradley, RPR and Notary Public