Wisconsin’s Nazi Fighter: Mildred Fish-Harnack

Here is a story of one badass Wisconsin woman: Mildred Fish-Harnack. Mildred was born in Milwaukee in 1902. While studying and teaching at UW-Madison, she met a German student named Arvid Harnack and married him in 1926. Because how do you meet a guy named Arvid and not marry him. A few years later, they […]

UW-Madison’s Black Student Strike of 1969

In 1969, Black students at UW-Madison called for a campus-wide student strike until administrators agreed to 13 demands. The Black Student Strike lasted for over two weeks in February 1969, putting it among the largest protests in university history. Joined by thousands of white allies, they held rallies to educate the community about racial inequities, […]

Vel R. Phillips: Certified Bad A$$

Growing up, we hear a lot about Rosa Parks, but you probably haven’t heard anything about Vel R. Phillips. Phillips was the first woman, first Black person, and/or first Black woman to graduate from UW-Madison Law School (1951, first Black woman), serve in Milwaukee’s Common Council (1956, first woman and first Black person), become a […]