SR1689 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1689 LRB098 23272 MST 62322 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Mable Louise Blackwell of Chicago, who passed away on December 22, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell was born in Decatur, Alabama on February 15, 1947 to Herman Tennis and Ruth Kathyrn (nee Ewing) Blackwell; her family relocated in 1953 and she spent her childhood years in Champaign; she studied at Lawhead Elementary School, Willard Elementary School, Franklin Junior High School (now Franklin Middle School), and Champaign Senior High School (now Central High School); she attended Andrew Jackson High School in Queens, New York in 1964 and returned to graduate from Champaign Senior High School in 1965; she later attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where she was initiated into the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Xi Chapter in 1968; she continued her education at Chicago State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences in 1972 and later a Master of Arts in Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1974; she earned her M.D. in 1978 in Pediatrics and later a Master of Public Health in 1986, both from the University of Illinois at Chicago; and

WHEREAS, For more than 30 years, Dr. Mable Blackwell used her medical training in service as a practicing physician, medical administrator, and academician; she held positions at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County; she served as the Regional Medical Director for the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Medical Director for the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director for the Will County Health Department and Community Health Center; for almost 10 years, she served as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and as the Director of the Office of Public Health Practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine; while as a professor and administrator at the University of Illinois at Chicago, she served as a consultant to the Illinois Office of Inspector General, Division of Medical Integrity; she was also a Visiting Professor at Chicago State University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell's service extended nationally and internationally, as well as within the State of Illinois; she served as a Professional Peer Reviewer for the United States Department of Health and Human Resources' Health Resources and Service Administration, the National Institute of Health, the National Cancer Institute Office of Cancer Program Support, and the United States Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education; her concern for providing adequate healthcare for infants, children, and adults throughout the world led her to visit and examine health delivery practices, access, and barriers throughout West Africa, Japan, China, Thailand, Mexico, and South Africa, which included serving as an invited planning meeting participant on the Establishing a Post Apartheid Health System for South Africa conference sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell was a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine; she was awarded several research grants for her work in minority and adolescent medicine and in support of her public service and public health initiatives; some of those awards include the Adolescent Access to Healthcare, the American Teachers of Preventive Medicine, University of Illinois; Healthy Solutions, American Academy of Pediatrics; Health Professions School Service to the Nation, Pew Health Commission, University of California at San Francisco; Community Based Public Health 2000, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Public Health Practice Initiative, Health Resource Services Administration, U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Human Services; Community-Based Public Health Practice, Leadership Development, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell served as the CEO of Blackwell Consulting Services, Inc. in Public Health Services, serving the southern Chicago metropolitan area; she managed the Title II Specialized Training and Education Program Services (STEPS), Mayor's Office of Employment and Training; she was a member of the American Medical Association, the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management and Patient Safety, the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Directors Association, and the Cook County Physicians Association; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell was deeply committed to her family and friends and was forever mindful of the contributions her parents made to their community, as well as to her and her siblings' lives; in honor of her parents, she founded the Herman T. and Ruth K. Blackwell Foundation INC, a non-profit public charity established to support and encourage communities in improving the quality of life for themselves and future generations; proceeds from the Foundation are an endowed scholarship by the same name at Morehouse College; she served as Chairperson of the Foundation until her death; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell was baptized at St. Luke Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Champaign; in 1995, she joined Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and became an active member; she was involved with the Project Jeremiah and the Yoga ministries; she enjoyed gardening, yoga, and playing tennis; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell was preceded in death by her parents, Herman T. and Ruth K. Blackwell; her brothers, Duane W. Blackwell and William N. Blackwell; and her sister, Diana D. Polk; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mable Blackwell is survived by her daughter, Samantha S. Fields and son, Ryan E. Fields; her sisters, Dorothy R. Coleman (Dejustice), Doris K. Butts (Stanley), Wilma J. Conwell, Clara Johnson (Samuel), and Ave M. Blackwell Alvarado; her brothers, Robert T. Blackwell (Carolyn) and Victor E. Blackwell (Kimberly); and host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dr. Mable Louise Blackwell, and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Mable Blackwell as an expression of our deepest sympathy.