Empty Heg pedestal WRN image
A statue honoring a trailblazing Black woman could be added to the grounds of the Wisconsin state Capitol in Madison.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has requested $150,000 in federal grant money, to be put towards a new statue of Vel Phillips, as well as restoration of the “Forward” and Hans Christian Heg statues torn down during rioting in June.
Phillips was the first Black woman to graduate from UW Law School. She also served as a judge, a member of the Milwaukee City Council, and as Wisconsin Secretary of State in the 1970s. She died in 2018 at the age of 95.
The restored statues would be re-installed next May. It’s not clear when a Phillips statue would be created.