Michigan Matters: Celebrating Judge Damon Keith and the future of DEI programs
As Black History Month continues, it's a celebration of the late Judge Damon Keith's life and impact as Peter J. Hammer, Director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School, Sean Williams, CEO of Detroit Vs Everybody, and Alex L. Parrish, partner at Honigman LLP, appear to share insights.
Judge Keith, who died in 2019 at the age of 96, issued numerous landmark rulings that championed equality and civil rights. The grandson of slaves, he rose from humble beginnings in Detroit to become a champion for justice and mentor who helped launch countless legal careers, including Parrish, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Rashad Hussain, who served as deputy associate counsel to former President Barack Obama, who all clerked for him.
Leaders from politics, entertainment and sports were drawn to his Detroit chambers, as it had photos on its walls of folks he touched, including Rosa Parks, Detroit Tigers icon Willie Horton, Nelson Mandela, President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, Aretha Franklin and many more.
Sean Williams and Tommey Walker, who started Detroit Vs Everybody, received the Soul and Spirit Humanitarian Award given out at the 36th annual Soul Food Luncheon started by Judge Keith and held again this Thursday in Detroit. Williams talked about his ambition years ago to become a lawyer before he decided to become an entrepreneur.
Then the focus is on DEI as Dr. Kenneth Harris, president and CEO of The National Business League, and Carolyn Cassin, president and CEO of Michigan Women Forward, talk about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs that are in the headlines as a new administration in Washington has taken aim at.
They discuss the impact of DEI and the road ahead as companies are also taking a closer look at them.
(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit, 9:30 a.m. Sundays on Detroit 50 WKBD).
(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan)
