The Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus celebrated Tuesday what would’ve been Vel Phillips’ 101st birthday at the Wisconsin State Capitol’s Assembly Parlor.
Vel Phillips was a pioneer in many ways— the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first woman and first African American elected to the Milwaukee Common Council, the first Black judge in Wisconsin and the first woman and African American elected to serve as Secretary of State, according to The Wheeler Report.
During the celebration, Rep. Moore Omokunde announced the Black Caucus is leading an effort to establish a day of observance in public schools to honor the legacy of Phillips.
State Senator LaTonya Johnson called Phillips a trailblazer for women and people of color in politics.
“Vel Phillips wasn’t just a leader,” Johnson said. “She was a force of nature. She refused to accept the limits placed on her as an African American woman and as a woman in general, and she made sure that no one coming after her had to suffer those barriers as well.”
Johnson talked about Phillips’ tireless advocacy for fair housing, voting rights and economic opportunity.
Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski shared her personal connection to Phillips’ story and the importance of recognizing Vel’s legacy.
She went on to praise Phillips’ courage and conviction.
“Vel didn’t just make history. Vel changed history,” Godlewski said.
Omokunde acknowledged that this bill partly emerged from high school social studies teacher Mikki Maddox, who was invited to speak at the event..
Maddox, who teaches at a rural school in Necedah, Wisconsin, has been advocating for Phillips’ recognition in Wisconsin schools.
“I felt the rest of the state would benefit and our students would benefit by seeing that example and seeing themselves in that example, and being able to have the opportunity themselves to also be lifted by Vel’s memory to do better things for the state of Wisconsin,” Maddox said.
Chair of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus Sen. Dora E. Drake, D-Milwaukee spoke more to Phillips’ legacy and the legislation to solidify Feb. 18 as her day of remembrance in an interview with The Badger Herald.
The proposed legislation, LRB-6089, aims to commemorate her achievements, similar to how the state recognizes Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day, according to Drake.
“She has been a trailblazer in Wisconsin’s history, not just as being the first elected black woman to the city council in Milwaukee, but really led the fight for fair housing in Wisconsin, fighting against redlining,” Drake said.
The Black Caucus believes honoring Phillips’ legacy will help prepare students for the real world by acknowledging the state’s complex history, Drake said.
Drake said the observance day would provide opportunities for schools and communities to honor Phillips’ work and legacy.
With recent efforts by the federal government to eliminate DEI on a national scale, Drake emphasized the importance of documenting history.
“When we actively try to remove the accomplishments or silence our history, it also weakens us as individuals,” Drake said.
Beyond the legislation, the Black Caucus is focused on broader initiatives to advance equity and justice in Wisconsin.
Drake believes the push to establish Vel Phillips Day is expected to gain bipartisan support, building on the caucus’s success with the annual Black History Month resolution.
“I would see no reason why anyone wouldn’t want to honor the very woman that we literally have a state statue of in the State Capitol,” Drake said. “For it to be stopped would be a shame, because if we focused on merit alone, she broke so many barriers … which is more than enough that merits her to be given the day of observation, recognition that she deserves.”
As legislation moves forward, the caucus will continue working to uplift Phillips’ story and drive progress on the issues that matter most to their communities, Drake said.
