History was made on July 27 as a statue of beloved civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips was unveiled in downtown Madison, the first outdoor sculpture of an African American woman on any U.S. state capitol grounds.
Led by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, the sculpture unveiling was the culmination of the Vel Phillips Legacy Initiative Task Force’s work in partnership with the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration. On Saturday night, hundreds of people were dressed in white at the unveiling which coincided with the White Party, an annual fundraiser hosted by the Boys & Girls Club.
“What a historic day this is,” said Michael Johnson, the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. The initiative to erect a statue of Philips was started by Johnson who talked about how young activists during the George Floyd protests in 2020 told him there needed to be pieces of art that reflected the contributions of African Americans in and around the State Capitol building. “Our voices of young people always need to be elevated. When you elevate the voices of young people, you win every single time. The honorable Vel Phillips will become the first woman of this nation to have a singular sculpture on state capitol grounds because of them.”
Velvalea “Vel” Hortense Rodgers Phillips was a Wisconsin civil rights hero. In 1951, she 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.
Gov. Tony Evers told the large crowd at the sculpture unveiling that he was “jazzed as hell” to be at the event.
“I always go back to my roots as a teacher, and this sculpture is going to make a difference in kids’ lives,” Evers said. “Thousands and thousands of fourth graders come here every year, and now they are going to know that representation matters.
“I am so happy to be a part of this … obviously there are so many people who did a lot more work than I did … but I’m so proud of this day.”
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said she had the privilege of “knowing Vel Phillips for many years.”
“Vel Phillips was an activist, an icon, and a pioneer … all true,” Baldwin said. “But to me, and to so many other women, she was more than that. She was a beacon of hope. She was someone who showed us what was possible. She showed us that making history and breaking barriers was important, but making a difference for others is what the North Star is whether it be voting rights or fair housing, Vel was willing to take on any challenge.”
Vel Phillips’s son, Michael Phillips, who has been involved in the project since the very beginning, said that his mom “was a little bit of Mike Tyson.” “She was 90 pounds. 5’2” But she was a fighter. She was all the way down. She was tough. She was rough. She was rugged. Make no mistake … my mom was a fighter,” Michael Phillips said before the unveiling.
“The thing that we have to do coming up in this country between now and [the election in] November … We’ve got some fighting to do,” he added. “Trust me when I tell you that if my mom was still here, she would be right on that. God bless her.”
The statute was constructed by artist Radcliff Bailey, who passed away last year. The installation of the statue coincides with what would have been Phillips’ 100th birthday year.
“The task ahead of us is not easy, but as Miss Phillips demonstrated, nothing worth doing is easy,” said State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, the only state legislator on the Velp Phillips Taskforce. “In the words of Ms. Phillips’ mother, she said as a young girl, and I quote, ‘If you really want it, don’t dream small; dream big dreams.'”
