Jannie Blackwell

"Politics is an open-ended opportunity to make life better for others"

"He sure took care of South Philly, but he never fought you fighting for the rights of your community."

"We were arrested for feeding people on the subway"

"It’s been a journey of love"

"I believe that public service is what elected officials are supposed to be about. I know that not everybody sees it that way, some people see it as power, but power is supposed to be about allowing you to share, allowing you to serve others."

"That’s what it’s been for me all of these years. I’ve loved every day of it."

"My time is short and I wanted to make sure to represent my community groups all the way up until the end,"

"Councilmember Blackwell has made a life-long commitment to move her community forward and will always work to foster an end to homelessness, neighborhood blight and poor public education through using the tools of public policy, legislation and public involvement. Her overall vision is to improve her constituents’ quality of life – regardless of race, class, gender, or socio-economic status. She continues to believe that there is a solution to every problem, and that when we work together, everybody wins."