Keith, Damon J. (Damon Jerome), 1922-

Elvin Davenport Papers

drice — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:36:55 -0400

Elvin Lamoine Davenport (1899-1988) was the first African-American judge elected to the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit; he served on the bench for over 20 years. Davenport was born in Folly, Virginia, attended local schools, and received his undergraduate degree from Temple University and his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1929. After graduation he worked as a Pullman porter for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and completed further graduate studies at McGill University. Davenport moved to Detroit, Michigan where he was appointed to the State Bar in 1931. He became associated with the law firm of Stowers, Bledsoe & Dent, later forming his own practice with Garvin, Osborne, Smith, and Fuller (1931-1945). Like many African-American lawyers practicing at the time, Davenport had difficulty attracting clients; to make a decent living he also sold life insurance. He became heavily involved in civil rights cases, serving as counsel for the NAACP in the Sojourner Truth housing project riots; the 1943 Detroit race riot inquest in police shootings; and the general court martial charges against Lt. Milton R. Henry. He was appointed as the Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor in 1945-1946 and 1948-1956. In 1956, Governor G. Mennen Williams appointed him to the Common Pleas Court for the City of Detroit, making Davenport again the first African-American to be appointed to the position. By 1957, he was elevated to the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit. Davenport sat on the bench until his retirement in 1977. Throughout his life, Elvin Davenport was a member of many professional and service organizations. Elvin Davenport died in June of1988.

The papers of Elvin Davenport primarily document his practice as an attorney and judge in the city of Detroit, from 1942-1977. Of particular note are correspondence files that demonstrate the integral role Mr. Davenport played in both the judicial profession and local community service organizations, as well as the relationships he cultivated as a result of his involvement.

Hugh M. Davis, Jr. Papers

drice — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:14:08 -0400

Hugh M. “Buck” Davis, Jr. graduated from Harvard Law School in 1968 and went into private practice and became associated with the National Lawyer’s Guild Detroit Chapter. He is a co-founder of the Constitutional Litigation Associates firm in Detroit and practices in civil rights, discrimination, and criminal defense cases. The Davis Papers consist largely of pleadings, briefs, research, and correspondence related to U.S. v. Sinclair, the Keith Case (the 1972 wiretapping case), and a civil action by the defendants in U.S. v. Sinclair against the government and certain of its representatives.

Damon J. Keith Papers

drice — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:20:02 -0400

Judge Damon Keith served in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Keith delivered several landmark rulings in civil rights and civil liberties cases and played an active role in various civic, cultural and educational associations, including the Detroit YMCA, the United Negro College Fund, and the Detroit National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He is the recipient of the NAACP’s Springarn Medal, the American Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Award, the Edward J. Devitt Award for Distinguished Service to Justice, and over thirty honorary degrees. Judge Keith’s papers document important milestones in his career, his precedent-setting judicial decisions, his role in ensuring equal justice for all Americans, and the many honors and awards bestowed upon him for his dedication to civil rights and to the City of Detroit.

Rachel Boone Keith Papers

drice — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:10:27 -0400

Dr. Rachel Boone Keith came to Detroit from New York City in 1951 after receiving her medical degree from Boston University and was an internist in private practice from that point forward, practicing medicine at several Detroit area hospitals. Dr. Keith served on a number of professional commissions and committees and was active in civic, cultural, and educational organizations, including her work as a lifetime member of the NAACP. Dr. Keith’s papers document her education, professional career, and civic activities as well as containing information on her father’s and mother’s families, the Booths and Tharps, and their service as doctors, missionaries, and religious ministers.

Book Announcement: The Color of Law

teller — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:45:25 -0400

Next month metropolitan Detroit authors and frequent Reuther Library researchers Steve Babson, Dave Riddle, and David Elsila are releasing their book The Color of Law: Ernie Goodman, Detroit, and the Struggle for Labor and Civil Rights, which uses information garnered from collections held at the Reuther.

We have many records and manuscript collections that reflect how the local government, legal system, and organizations have addressed the intersection of civil rights, race, and the law in metro Detroit. read more »

Judge Damon J. Keith Passes at 96 Years of Age

ljones — Thu, 09 May 2019 14:05:07 -0400

The Reuther Library mourns the passing of Judge Damon Jerome Keith who made his transition April 28, 2019. A Detroit native and the grandson of enslaved Africans, Judge Keith lived during a number of pivotal moments in American and world history. Forced to endure and negotiate the confines of a world that too often worked against the interests and advancement of African Americans, he succeeded in life while making enduring contributions to its betterment. read more »

(24860) NAACP, Members, Fight for Freedom Dinner, 1960

eclemens — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:46:10 -0400

Members of the NAACP pose for a picture during the Fight for Freedom Dinner at the Latin Quarters, Detroit, Michigan.

Left to right, Front: Dr. Wendall Cox; Harry Golden; Mrs. Marguerite Belefonte; Dr. DeWitt Burton

Left to right, Back: Damon J. Keith; Governor G. Mennen Williams

(46714) Judge Damon Keith and David Adamany, 1982

eclemens — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 10:44:28 -0500

Judge Damon Keith oversees the installation of David Adamany as Wayne State University's 8th president.

(11474) Mandela, Young, Keith, Bieber, Wonder, Detroit, Michigan, 1990

eclemens — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:20:30 -0400

Nelson Mandela stands on the dais during his visit to Detroit, Michigan. Left to right: UAW president Owen Bieber, Judge Damon Keith, Mayor Coleman Young, Stevie Wonder, Nelson Mandela, and Winnie Mandela.

(24855) NAACP, Receptions, Damon J. Keith, Sammy Davis, Jr., 1960

eclemens — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:47:31 -0400

Damon J. Keith addresses guests at the home of Dr. Howard McNeill during a reception for Sammy Davis, Jr., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Left to right: Arthur L. Johnson, Sammy Davis, Jr., Damon J. Keith, Edward M. Turner

(28531) Judge Damon Keith, 1988

eclemens — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:03:09 -0400

Portrait of Federal Court Judge Damon Keith.

(28532) Judge Damon Keith, Family, 1970s

eclemens — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:05:54 -0400

Federal Court Judge Damon Keith with wife Rachel Boone Keith, daughter Cecilia Keith-Brown and Detroit Mayor Coleman Young.

(28577) New Detroit Committee, 1967

eclemens — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:17:08 -0400

Group portrait of the New Detroit Committee taken outside of the McGregor Memorial Conference Center, Detroit.

Photographers note: "The New Detroit Committee posed for its first official portrait at Wayne State University in a rare gathering of the city’s most influential civic leaders, Oct 11, 1967. "

Left to right: Lena Bivens, Archdiocesean Opportunity Program; Ed Carey, President Detroit Common Council; Robert Tindal, Exec Sec NAACP; Richard Huegli, Managing director, United Community Services; Emil Lockwood, State Senate Majority Leader; Jack Wood, secretary-manager, Detroit and Wayne Building Trades Council; Judge Damon Keith, chairman Michigan Civil Rights Commission; Max Fisher, United Foundation chairman; Virgil Boyd, president Chrysler Corp: John Pingel, president Ross Roy Inc; Mrs, Gerald Bright, vice-president, League of Women Voters; Norvil Harrington, Inner City civil rights worker; Ralph McElvenny, president Michigan Consolidated Gas Co.; Joseph L. Hudson, president J.L. Hudson Co (chairman); James Roche, president General Motors Corp.; William T. Gossett, president American Bar Association; Arthur Johnson, deputy superintendent, Detroit Public Schools; Walker Cisler, chairman, Detroit Edision; James B. Ogden, assistant to UAW president Walter Reuther; Allen Merrell, Ford Motor Co., vice-president; John Armstrong, president Darin & Armstrong, Inc.; Rev Malcolm Carron, president University of Detroit; Mrs. Jean Washington, 10th precinct Police Community Relations Committee; Curtis Potter, Mayor Royal Oak; William Ryan, State House minority leader; William Day, president Michigan Bell; Delos Hamlin, chairman Oakland County Board of Supervisions; Rennie Freeman, executive secretary, West Central Organization; Paul Borman, president Borman Food Stores, Inc.

(41858) Damon Keith Law Collection Opening Event Program

mcourtney — Thu, 09 May 2019 11:22:30 -0400

Printed piece marking the opening of the Damon Keith Law Collection, later known as the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African-American Legal History.

(41859) Judge Damon J. Keith, Portrait

mcourtney — Thu, 09 May 2019 11:24:54 -0400

A portrait of Judge Keith in formal attire.

(46783) Damon Keith and Edward Littlejohn

ljones — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:15:54 -0400

Professor Edward Littlejohn (right) and Judge Damon Keith share a lighthearted moment.