Summary
Fair housing advocate, civil rights champion, and civic leader Vel Phillips spent her life breaking barriers and fighting for justice for all people. As the first Black woman on the Milwaukee Common Council, Wisconsin’s first Black judge, and the first Black woman to win statewide office when she was elected secretary of state of Wisconsin, Phillips left a lasting legacy that has inspired generations to continue the fight for justice and equality.
Valiant Vel depicts Phillips’s captivating story for young readers in middle and high school—from her childhood experiences facing racial discrimination, to achieving her dream of becoming a lawyer, to her long career in politics and civil rights. In the 1960s, Phillips spearheaded a campaign to advocate for fair housing in Milwaukee, joining forces with the NAACP Youth Council and marching alongside other activists in the face of violent opposition. In 1968, Phillips’s persistence paid off when the Milwaukee Common Council passed a fair housing ordinance.
Featuring historic photographs as well as original illustrations by Milwaukee artist Aaron Boyd—plus an afterword by Phillips’s son, Michael, a glossary of terms, and sources for further research—Valiant Vel is both an engaging lesson in civics and an inspiring story of an activist who dedicated her life to making the world a better place.
Author
Jerrianne Hayslett is an award-winning journalist, a writer, and a trial-court information officer. She left her native state of Virginia at age nineteen and lived overseas and in several states before settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Valiant Vel is her first book for young readers.
Illustrator
Aaron Boyd knew by age six that he wanted to illustrate children’s books. He has illustrated dozens of books, including The Story of Civil Rights Hero John Lewis and the Wisconsin Historical Society Press title Brownie the War Dog. Aaron lives with his family in Milwaukee.
Afterword
Michael Phillips is the son of Vel and Dale Phillips and administrator and board member of the Vel Phillips Foundation. Michael has spent years serving as an attorney in Madison and Milwaukee.
