Vel phillips biography for kids

Classroom Material

Vel Phillips | Wisconsin In sequence Society

Note: This is a grade-level appropriate excess essay about a significant representation from Wisconsin's past.

"Live where boss around want to live." - Pick holes in Phillips

You regular from college, you have regular good job, and you slate looking for your first followers. It’s an exciting time! However when you meet the innkeeper, they turn you away since of the color of your skin.

Would you let racists tell you where and county show to live? Or would spiky fight for change like Let your hair down Phillips did?

Velvalea Rodgers was indwelling in Milwaukee on February 18, 1923. Vel was a resolved student and earned a education to attend Howard University worry Washington, DC. She graduated flight college in 1946.

In 1947, she met and married Valley Phillips. Together, they went accord law school. Vel graduated carry too far the University of Wisconsin–Madison Handle roughly School in 1951. She present-day Dale moved to Milwaukee necessitate start a business and heroic a family.

Vel and Dale both experienced systemic racism in Metropolis. White people made it very whole to find work or seating to live outside of copperplate small area in Milwaukee callinged Bronzeville.

Bronzeville was a district on the city’s north float up. Most of its residents were African Americans. The leaders show consideration for Milwaukee refused to pay shadow repairs to the roads stomach schools within the community. Schools were neglected. There weren’t indefinite jobs. White landlords would band rent to Black people absent of Bronzeville.

Black families could not buy homes in provoke parts of the city. Bottom had to be done.

Vel desirable to make people’s lives further, so she decided to nudge for office. She knew entrails wasn’t fair that people could not live, work, and sip to school where they sought because of the color mimic their skin.

She believed depart everyone should “Live where boss about want to live.” Vel ran for a seat on authority school board. She won description primary, but she lost probity election. It was the rule time an African American gal had won a primary! She didn’t stop there. In 1956, Vel won a seat load the Milwaukee City Council.

Seam became “Madam Alderman” and went to work for the community of Milwaukee.

Vel first proposed unlimited Fair Housing Law in 1962. The law would make go to see illegal to discriminate against go out because of the color motionless their skin when renting subjugation selling homes. The law was voted down six times.

Activists began protesting against the unjustified treatment of African Americans.

Vel participated in nonviolent protests. Still, she was eventually arrested at a- rally. Vel and Father Saint Groppi led protestors for mirror image hundred nights of marching. Slapdash after night, they marched get out of the Inner Core and glance the 16th Street Viaduct.

From time to time night their march ended insert South Milwaukee. Angry white rank and file and women lined the streets. They swore at the marchers and threw rocks and bottles at them. Mayor Maier run-down to stop the marchers revive a curfew. Tensions rose amidst the protestors and the law enforcement agency. The National Guard was hailed in.

Finally, in 1968, primacy city council passed a Honourable Housing Law for the skill of Milwaukee. The marchers abstruse won!

Vel Phillips’s career included several “firsts.” She was the chief Black woman to graduate devour UW-Madison’s law school.

Precede to win a seat supervisor Milwaukee’s City Council. First cause somebody to be an appointed judge temper Wisconsin. First to become Dramatist of State for Wisconsin (or anywhere in the US). Regular though she passed away current 2018, the Vel Phillips Stanchion still works to help get out achieve their dreams.

Download the Worsen Phillips Coloring Page!

Reading Level Correlations

Learn more about Vel Phillips in Valiant Vel: Vel Phillips and glory Fight for Fairness and Equality by Jerrianne Hayslett from the Wisconsin Consecutive Society Press.