Keith Collection
Damon J. Keith Collection of
African American Legal History
The Damon J. Keith Collection of African American Legal History is the country's first and only archive dedicated to the perpetual care of the papers, artifacts and memorabilia of African American legal history.
The collection includes the papers of prominent African American lawyers, judges, lawmakers and others whose work and service reflect a commitment to civil rights, including Judge Damon J. Keith, Dr. Arthur Johnson and Congressmen John Conyers. Established in 1993 through the vision of Professor Edward Littlejohn, the collection is a partnership between the Walter P. Reuther Library and the Wayne State University Law School. It is available for research by scholars, students and the general public.
In addition to preserving legal history, the collection supports lectures and research, provides educational teaching materials and partners with the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights to provide education about civil rights in Michigan and beyond.
The collection is also home to two exhibits, Marching Toward Justice and Saluting a Giant. Marching Toward Justice details the history of the 14th Amendment and its promise of equal protection under the law. Saluting a Giant tells the story of Judge Keith's life in photographs, commemorating his courageous and insightful contributions to creating equal justice under the law. The Keith Center building houses an exhibit area featuring a digital, abridged version of Marching Toward Justice and memorabilia from Judge Keith's life and work.
Damon J. Keith Collection
Visiting Research Fellowship
The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, in partnership with the Walter P. Reuther Library, will invite applications for a short-term visiting research fellowship supporting sustained scholarly engagement with the Damon J. Keith Collection. The fellowship brings legal historians, civil rights scholars, social scientists, journalists, and advanced graduate students to Detroit for short-term, concentrated work with the collection, with a modest stipend to offset travel and lodging.
Fellows will work on-site at the Reuther Library with archivist support and will be hosted by the Keith Center for the duration of their residency. In exchange for the stipend, each fellow will produce a public-facing deliverable, such as a working paper, a lecture or seminar for the Wayne State Law School community, or a written contribution to the Keith Center's publications. Fellows are encouraged to remain in conversation with the Center after their residency, and the Center will support the placement and circulation of scholarship that emerges from the collection.
To be notified of when applications open, sign up for the Center’s newsletter here. Inquiries may be directed to the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, Wayne State University Law School at keithcenter@wayne.edu.