SJL client, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County makes Vel Phillips statue a reality
'She'd be proud': Statue of trailblazer Vel Phillips approved for Wisconsin state Capitol grounds
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MADISON – The state Capitol will have its first statue commemoration of a prominent Wisconsin African American trailblazer with a vote Monday to honor Vel Phillips.
The statue of Phillips, who in a career full of firsts was the first African American woman elected to statewide office, is expected to be placed on the Capitol grounds at the corner of West Main Street and South Carroll Street in late 2022 or early 2023.
The State Capitol and Executive Residence Board approved the statue Monday, said Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, who serves as the chair of the committee.
“Once installed, the Vel Phillips statue will have a place of honor at our state Capitol, which is arguably the most beautiful state Capitol in the country," Loudenbeck said in a statement.
The Vel Phillips Task Force was formed last summer, after it was brought to the attention of Michael Johnson, the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County that there was no representation of people of color at the state Capitol. Johnson then began to reach out to people across the state to create the task force, which then selected to memorialize Philips because of her dedication to serving the state of Wisconsin.
The task force raised $308,000 for the statue, from nearly 250 donors, including the Milwaukee Bucks, the Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation and the State Bar of Wisconsin. It will be constructed by an artist based in New York.
The statue could be the first African American woman to have a statue at any capitol in the U.S. outside of Rosa Parks at the U.S. Capitol building, according to Johnson.
Michael Phillips, son of Vel Phillips, said Monday was a historic day for the state, honoring his mother.
"She'd be proud," he said during a Monday afternoon press conference. "My mom has certainly done a lot of firsts, and we know that. But this is a moment to look forward to some of the firsts that we can anticipate."
Rep. Sheila Stubbs, D-Madison, said the vote to place the statue was a way to make sure that all residents of Wisconsin can see themselves reflected at the state Capitol building.
"Today we made history. Starting today, our state Capitol began to represent the true diversity of our state," she said. "Vel Phillips was a trailblazer, a pioneer, a mother, a mentor and a true legend. Her devotion to serving the people of Wisconsin was profound, and her legacy paved the way for women of color to be leaders, innovators, advocates and public servants."
In 1951, Velvalea Phillips became the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School and in 1956, she became the first woman and first African American on the Milwaukee Common Council.
During her time on the Common Council, she fought for an open-housing ordinance to bar discrimination in rental and home sales, only to see it voted down year after year. Finally, in 1986, the measure passed, after a year of open-housing marches through Milwaukee.
Her career didn't stop there. Phillips went on to become the first African American woman to become a judge in Wisconsin. And later, made history as the first African American woman elected statewide when she was voted in as secretary of state in Wisconsin, where she continued her work for civil rights and women's equality.
Phillips died in April 2018. In Milwaukee, parts of North Fourth Street have been renamed Vel R. Phillips Avenue. A University of Wisconsin-Madison residence hall is named after her.
More: 'We need beacons of hope': Community groups gather $125K for Vel Phillips statue in Madison and seeking more donations
In addition to the statue of Vel Phillips, the statues of Col. Hans Christian Heg and the "Forward" statues were restored after they were damaged during a summer of protests in 2020. The two statutes were reinstalled this summer.
In addition to the fundraising effort for the statue, a fundraising initiative was also launched Monday, called the Vel Phillips Endowment Fund. Johnson said the goal of the campaign is to raise $1 million over the next 90 days, which will be used to help fund the college dreams of under-resourced children across the state.
"We will help young people across the Wisconsin create their own first. Maybe the first to go to college, maybe the first to get a college degree," he said. "Maybe the first to get a certification, maybe a first to principal or their family's first lawyer or doctor. I'm excited to see how we support young people throughout the state.
To donate to or learn more about the Vel Phillips Endowment Campaign, visit bit.ly/3BEKD5U.
