Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says civil rights leader Vel Phillips literally changed the state’s largest city. Phillips died Tuesday night at the age of 94. She was the first black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1951 and became the first African-American and the first woman to be elected to Milwaukee’s Common Council five years later. A moment of silence was held at Milwaukee City Hall in her honor Wednesday afternoon. There were other firsts. She was the first African American judge in Wisconsin and the first African American female to serve as Wisconsin Secretary of State. Phillips was in hospice care when she died.
Milwaukee Civil Rights Leader Vel Phillips Dies
Apr 19, 2018 | 2:30 PM
State News