Vel. R Phillips statue unveiled on Capitol grounds in Madison

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee civil rights pioneer has now a permanent memorial in Madison. 

Governor Tony Evers was on hand as the first statue honoring an African American leader was unveiled on the Capitol grounds. 

Evers called the Vel. R Phillips statue a true treasure, and a Wisconsin icon who had a lasting impact on the state's legal and political history. 

She was the first Black woman to graduate from the UW Law School, and she became the first Black judge in state history. 

Phillips also made history as the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Wisconsin. 

She served as Secretary of State from 1979 of 1983. 

Phillips died in 2018 at the age of 95.