‘We need beacons of hope’: Community groups gather $125K for Vel Phillips statue in Madison and seeking more donations

The legacy of Vel Phillips is one filled with firsts.

In 1951, she was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. In 1956, she was the first woman and first Black member of Milwaukee’s City Council. In 1971, she was the first woman and first Black judge in Milwaukee County.