Rep. Stubbs’ Statement on Vel Phillips Statue Advisory Committee

MADISON- Today, Governor Evers announced the community advisory committee that will propose a monument in honor of the late Vel Phillips to the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board (SCERB). Representative Stubbs (D-Madison) is a part of this committee, and her statement is below:

“Vel Phillips is a shining example of Black Excellence in Wisconsin. As the first Black woman to be elected to the Milwaukee Common Council, and the first to become Secretary of State, she became the role model for many other Black women to enter public service, including myself. Her legacy of civil rights action paved the way for a generation, and her service deserves to be recognized”

“I want to thank Governor Tony Evers for supporting this advisory committee, and for recognizing the moment we are in today. I also want to thank President and CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Dane County Michael Johnson for bringing this idea to legislators and Governor Evers. Our state capitol needs to be an accurate reflection of our state, and the people that call Wisconsin home. For too long, Black faces have been excluded from recognition, and it is time that status quo is changed”

“I look forward to working with my fellow committee members to bring this proposal forward, and to bring diversity onto our capitol grounds. Most of all, I am excited to honor the memory of Vel Phillips by bringing her story to the forefront. I hope this monument will inspire the next generation of leaders, and show that there is no limit to what they can achieve.”

The committee is made up of the members below:

• Dave Endres, Corporate Legal Counsel for American Family Insurance (Chair)
• Michael Phillips, son of Vel Phillips
• Michael Johnson, President and CEO Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County
• Jessica Cavazos, President and CEO, Latino Chamber of Commerce
• Anthony Cooper, CEO of Focused Interruption Coalition
• Shelia Stubbs, State Representative, 77th Assembly District
• Angela Arrington, Senior Attorney for Alliant Energy, Delta Sigma Theta
• Jake Brown, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County
• Lucy Mathiak, Former MMSD Board member, Historian

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.