Blackwell, Lucien, 1931-2003

<p>Lucien Edward Blackwell (August 1, 1931 – January 24, 2003) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1973 to 1975, Philadelphia City Council from 1975 to 1991, and the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995.</p>

<p>Blackwell was born in Whitsett, Fayette County, Pennsylvania on August 1, 1931. After attending West Philadelphia High School, he took a job as a dockworker and briefly pursued a career as a boxer. In 1953, he was drafted into the United States Army and served in the Korean War. Blackwell was a boxing champion during his years in the Army. After his service ended, he returned to the docks as a longshoreman. In 1973, he became the president of the International Longshoremen's Association, Local 1332.</p>

<p>Blackwell's professional political career began with election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives where he served from 1973 to 1975.</p>

<p>"Lucien the Solution" was best known as a vibrant member of the Philadelphia City Council from 1975 to 1991. While serving on the Council, Blackwell served several terms as Chairman of the Finance Committee, where he led the charge to divest pension funds from businesses doing business in South Africa. Blackwell also sponsored the Philadelphia's first law to create opportunities for minorities and women to compete to obtain city contracts. Blackwell was also heavily involved in legislation to create the Pennsylvania Convention Center and in passing the law that broke Philadelphia's long-standing building height limit, allowing for the construction of Philadelphia's One Liberty Place. Blackwell was perhaps best known for his fiery oratory on the Council floor and for serving as a mentor to the former Philadelphia Mayor (and Council President) John Street. During his City Council tenure, Blackwell was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in both 1979 and 1991.</p>

<p>Blackwell was elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Second Congress by special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Bill Gray, and reelected to the succeeding Congress. In Congress, Blackwell was a member of the United States House Committee on the Budget and a reliable advocate for President Bill Clinton's economic policies.</p>

<p>Blackwell was ultimately an unsuccessful candidate for renomination to the One Hundred Fourth Congress in 1994, losing the primary to Chaka Fattah, and served as lobbyist following his tenure in Congress.</p>

<p>On January 24, 2003, Blackwell died at the age of 71.</p>

BLACKWELL, Lucien Edward, a Representative from Pennsylvania; born in Whitsett, Fayette County, Pa., August 1, 1931; attended public schools; United States Army, 1953-1954; president, Local 1332, International Longshoremen's Association, 1973-1991; member of the Pennsylvania state house of representative, 1973-1975; member of the Philadelphia, Pa., city council, 1974-1991; unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Philadelphia, Pa., in 1979; unsuccessful candidate for nomination for mayor of Philadelphia, Pa., in 1991; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Second Congress by special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of United States Representative William H. Gray, III, and reelected to the succeeding Congress (November 5, 1991-January 3, 1995); unsuccessful candidate for renomination to the One Hundred Fourth Congress in 1994; private advocate; died on January 24, 2003, in Philadelphia, Pa.; internment in Mount Lawn Cemetery, Yeardon, Pa.

<p>A long–time resident of West Philadelphia, Lucien Blackwell appealed to his primarily African–American, blue–collar constituents because of his image as a “common man.” The popular former city councilman successfully navigated Philadelphia’s Democratic Party machinery, emerging as one of the city’s most recognized politicians. Making his congressional debut in a special election to succeed powerful Representative William (Bill) Gray III, the former union president focused on helping working–class Americans who were suffering from the recession of the early 1990s. “The American worker is marching down the street asking for unemployment compensation because he has lost his job,” Blackwell said to his colleagues. “I ask every Congressman who does not vote for unemployment compensation tonight, give up your wages, give up your employment, give up what you’ve earned here, and then tell me it is all right to live off nothing.” However, Blackwell’s congressional career, marking a transitional phase in Philadelphia politics, proved to be short as the 73–year–old machine politician contended with a new generation of black leaders.</p>

<p>Lucien Edward Blackwell was born on August 1, 1931, to Thomas and Mary Blackwell in Whiset, Pennsylvania. He had at least one sibling, a sister named Audrey. As a young child, Lucien Blackwell moved to a West Philadelphia neighborhood known as “the Bottom,” where his father opened a grocery store. He lived in that neighborhood all his life. Lucien Blackwell dropped out of West Philadelphia High School in 1947 to take a job as a dockworker on the Philadelphia waterfront. He briefly pursued a boxing career, winning a novice Diamond Belt Championship in 1949 before being drafted into the United States Army in 1953 to fight in the Korean War. During his military service, he was awarded a unit commendation, two bronze stars, and a good conduct medal. After returning to civilian life, he joined the International Longshoreman’s Union, serving as president of its Philadelphia branch from 1973 to 1991. Blackwell married and divorced at a young age. He met his second wife, Jannie, while she was teaching at a school attended by his sons, Lucien, Jr., and Thomas W. Blackwell IV. The couple married in 1972 and had four daughters:Patricia, Barbara, Brenda, and Audrey.</p>

<p>Blackwell’s union work introduced him to politics. Living in a predominantly black, liberal neighborhood, he was a self–described Democrat “from the tip of my head to the bottom of my feet.” Blackwell first served in the Pennsylvania house of representatives from 1973 to 1975, but he made his mark as a Philadelphia city councilman, holding the office from 1975 to 1991. Blackwell earned the nickname “Lucien the Solution” for his attention to the needs of his constituents in West and South Philadelphia. He ran unsuccessfully for Philadelphia mayor as the Consumer Party candidate in 1979 against controversial incumbent Frank Rizzo, who was under investigation for fostering police brutality in Blackwell’s Ward. Both Rizzo and Blackwell lost to Democrat William J. Green. In 1986, Blackwell lost a bid for the Democratic city committee chairmanship to future Representative Robert A. Brady. He nevertheless held key chairmanships of two Philadelphia political groups: the Black Elected Officials and the United Black Ward Leaders.In 1991, Blackwell made his second mayoral run, finishing second to eventual winner Edward Rendell in a hotly contested Democratic primary. Blackwell’s first taste of national politics came through his work on Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988.</p>