Vel Phillips Papers (Correspondence, Box 5)

KENOSHA BRANCH NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE KENOSHA, WISCONSIN 11 February 1958

PRESIDENT David L. Byrd 6703-16th Ave. Kenosha, Wisc. Phone: OL-42374

SECRETARY William R. Smith 6626-17th Ave. Kenosha, Wisc. Phone: OL-79324

Attorney Vel Phillips 707-AW Walnut Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Dear Madam:

In behalf of the Kenosha Branch of the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People, I am hereby extending to you an invitation to be the guest speaker at our 5th Annual Banquet to be held at 4:00 PM on Sunday 23 March 1958.

I realize that this invitation is being tendered at a relatively late date, however in spite of this I sincerely hope you give it your most sincere consideration. If you decide to accept our invitation, I will make an immediate effort to contact you personally in regard to the various details.

I would appreciate your earliest consideration and reply.

Yours Sincerely, David L. Byrd

[left page]

Tuesday Feb. 11, Dear Vel;

I just wanted to say Hi, + to tell you that I just read the article in the paper about your family, your job, + yourself. I thought it was just wonderful, + it made me feel very warm + good inside that I knew you. I'm sure you are doing a great job in your duel role representing us. I hope you have many more successful years.

Margaret Hargrove

[right page - printed greeting card] Takin' a break from the day's work 'n' such With this friendly hello just to help keep in touch!

General Delivery Shawano, Wisconsin Feb. 10, 1958

Dear Mr. amd [and] Mrs. Phillips:-

It always give me a great thrill when women make the grade in a tough man's political world. And when they belong to a society of this sort they have just a limitless horizon to help those around them. To think you have become the FIRST woman Alderman in Milwaukee is an attainment you'll keep as an unbeatable record.

I noticed you and your husband were practicing lawyers before the Federal court in Milwaukee. I have several matters which I'd like to file as complaints or whatever the legal terminology is with the Federal court on behalf of my children and would ask you, either of you, to spare me a few moments of your time to write telling me how I can do this.

I'll come to Milwaukee to sign the filing papers if necessary but do not kno [know] how to go about this procedure. I am not a lawyer yet have been informed a person without sufficient financial means can go ahead with such legalities in his or her own defense without a lawyer.

Please advise me at above address. You have a darling little son.

Sincerely yours, (Mrs.) Constance W. Deer

I read last Sundays Milw Journal Picture section

The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee 3203 DOWNER AVENUE MILWAUKEE 11, WISCONSIN WOODRUFF 4-4400 COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE

February 10, 1958

Mrs. Vel Phillips, Alderman Second Ward, Milwaukee

Dear Vel:

Just a note to say how delighted I was to view the picture section of yesterday's Journal in which you were featured. Certainly the portrayal of such accomplishments is illustrative of the simplicity, common sense, and hard work which can be used to overcome which some apparently think of as "insurmountable racial obstacles." You obviously have experienced that by serving all peoples you necessarily improve race relations. For this I offer you my sincere congratulations and the best of luck in the future.

Give my regards to Dale and your very photogenic son.

Sincerely, Lucius Lucius J. Barker, Instructor in Political Science

Letter #2

Dear Phillips,

I am just setting here don't know what what I am not getting no treatments. And never have don't need no treatment. I have been told that if someone with the power could get you out. I am a stranger in this state and I don't have no pass record. have tryed [tried] to do the right thing. never been in prisnor [prison] or served time in any state. it's this state Scam to push me around because I have no to speak up for me. there have been lires [lies] told. but i can't do nothing about them because I did not know to whom to depend on. All my people live in N.J. it nothing that they can do. for me there because they live there. and there is. quite a few thing