A new sculpture on the Wisconsin Sate Capitol grounds was unveiled Saturday afternoon, honoring Vel Phillips, a civil rights trailblazer in Wisconsin, and the state’s first Black Secretary of State.
Nearly a thousand people gathered to listen to speakers share their memories of Phillips, and honor her dedication to her community and state. Michael Phillips, Vel’s son, said the statue marks a historic moment for Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers said the statue will serve as a powerful lesson for those who visit the Capitol, but especially the young children who tour the building and its grounds yearly. The Vel Phillips Task Force was created in 2020, after it was brought to the attention of Michale Johnson, the CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County that there was no representation of people of color at the state Capitol.
