THEIR STORIES. OUR LEGACY.

She was the first woman chief of the Madison Fire Department
and one of the first women fire chiefs in the country.
and one of the first women fire chiefs in the country.
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DEBRA AMESQUA
Vel
Phillips
Vel Phillips achieved many firsts, including first woman and first African American to be elected to the statewide office of secretary of state.
Activism & Social Change,, Law,, Government & Politics,, Activist,, African American,, Civil Rights,, First,, Judge,, Lawyer,, Secretary of State,, Milwaukee

Nellie Wilson spent her life fighting for employment opportunities for women and was the first African American woman to hold a leadership position in her local steelworkers union.
Activism & Social Change, first, Milwaukee, Activist, Labor, African American

Ramona Villarreal is a Mexican American activist who has devoted her life to fighting for equality and justice for people with Mexican/Latinx heritage in Wisconsin.
Activism & Social Change, Education, Activist, Teacher, First, Milwaukee, Waushara, Dane

Doris Thom, who helped open higher-paying jobs to women in Wisconsin, was the first woman to hold leadership positions in her local labor unions.
Activism & Social Change, Women’s Movement, Activist, Labor,Rock