Damon J. Keith, the federal judge whose rulings in a string of high-profile cases over three decades catapulted him to the status of national civil rights icon, has died.

He was 96.

Keith, a grandson of slaves who rose from humble beginnings in Detroit to become an internationally-revered champion for justice and a much-loved father-figure who launched countless legal careers, died Sunday morning at his home in Detroit.

Lawyers and legal scholars from all over the nation were drawn to his Detroit chambers, a place adorned with photos of the many famous people whose lives he touched, including Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and President Barack Obama.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2019/04/28/damon-keith-district-judge-civil-rights-icon/3608409002/