Vel Phillips -- known as a civil rights pioneer and woman of many firsts -- is becoming a ubiquitous name in Madison.

Phillips represents many firsts for Wisconsin, including being the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin- Madison Law School and to be elected to a statewide office in Wisconsin and the entire nation. 

She also served as the first female and African American elected to the Milwaukee Common Council, as well as the first African American judge in the state of Wisconsin.

One of Phillips’ most notable moments was in her fight for fair housing. Despite her Common Council colleagues sometimes refusing to debate the topic, Phillips fought relentlessly for six years in the 1960s to establish a fair housing law in the city.

Phillips stood by and stood up for Black and marginalized Wisconsinites, paving the way for a more just system in the state.