A private fundraiser that will benefit the historic sculpture of Vel Phillips at the Wisconsin State Capitol will be held at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the American Black Holocaust Museum in downtown Milwaukee.
Speakers will include U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, City of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, City of Milwaukee Commissioner Lafayette Crump, City of Milwaukee Alder Milele Coggs, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County President & CEO Michael Johnson and Mike Phillips, the son of Vel Phillips.
The Vel Phillips sculpture on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Capitol building in downtown Madison is looking to be installed in 2024 and will be the first featuring an African-American woman. The sculpture is being designed by renowned artist Radcliffe Bailey.
Tonight’s fundraiser will be hosted by the Vel Phillips Legacy Initiative and members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated statewide, and will benefit the design, fabrication, and transport of the historic sculpture to the state capitol.
The initiative to erect a statue of Philips began with a letter written by Johnson to former Wisconsin State Sen. Fred Risser and the former chairman of the State Capitol Executive Residence Board. Johnson pointed out that there were no prominent pieces of art that reflected the contributions of African Americans in and around the State Capitol building.
“It’s encouraging that the state is honoring her legacy by approving a statue to be placed at the Capitol building, thus recognizing her contributions as a representative of the African-American community,” said Johnson in a statement. “The young people of Wisconsin and generations thereafter need to see that representation matters and they need to see heroes and leaders that reflect the ecosystem of our communities at large.”
In 1951, Velvalea “Vel” Hortense Rodgers Phillips became the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, the first Black woman elected to the Democratic National Committee in 1958, and in 1978, Philips became the first woman and the first Black person to be elected to a statewide office in Wisconsin: the secretary of state.
Philips is also credited with being the first woman and first Black person on the Milwaukee Common Council. In 1971, she became the first female judge in Milwaukee County and the state’s first Black judge.
“My mom’s legacy lives on. But there is more work to be done,” Mike Phillips, son of Vel Phillips, said in a press release. “We must honor her legacy by investing in our kids. We must help kids find their own ‘firsts.’ Together we can support our future leaders.”
So far, $400,000 of the $560,000 goal has been raised for the statue. To contribute, click here.
