; Whereas in recognition of her many accomplishments, she was invited to serve as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at Marquette’s Law School during the 2002–2003 school year; Whereas, in 2006, she started the Vel Phillips Foundation to establish equality and opportunity for minorities through social justice, education, housing, and jobs and to help high school students successfully make the transition to college; Whereas, in 2006, she was recognized by the Wisconsin Historical Society as one of the biggest historical contributors to the State, winning the Robert and Belle La Follette Award for Distinction in Public Service; Whereas she remained active in Milwaukee’s Community Brainstorming Conference, which focuses on grassroots leadership; Whereas this list of accomplishments does no justice to the number of individual lives she touched and inspired in her community, throughout Wisconsin, and the Nation; Whereas Velvalea Vel Phillips’ undeterred tenacity laid the foundation for other women, African Americans, and people in general to muster the courage to strive for the sustained social progress of our young Nation; Whereas Vel served as chairwoman of the first successful campaign of an African American for Congress in the State of Wisconsin; and Whereas the life of this remarkable woman and American is filled with accomplishments that were unheard of during her time and is a testament to her fearless and steadfast pursuit of equitable living conditions for each American which helped transform our country into a better, more just, and morally advanced society: Now, therefore, be it