A statue of groundbreaking civil rights leader Vel R. Phillips unveiled at the Capitol in Madison on Saturday. Her son, attorney Micheal Phillips, said his mom was “tough” and a “fighter.” He also told the crowd gathered at the Capitol that “between now and November, we have got some fighting to do,” and that if Phillips were here, “she would be right on that.” The statue honors the first Black woman elected to the Common Council in Milwaukee, where she led the fight for fair housing. Phillips was also the first Black person elected to statewide office and was the state’s first Black judge.
