Politics / Law
Keith Ellison
born 1963 · politician, lawyer
Detroit-raised lawyer who in 2006 became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress and later Minnesota's attorney general.
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Keith Ellison was born in Detroit in 1963, the third of five sons of a psychiatrist and a social worker, and was raised Catholic in the city. He attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, where he played sports and served in student government, graduating in 1981. At 19, while studying at Wayne State University, he converted to Islam. He moved to Minneapolis for law school at the University of Minnesota in 1987 and built his legal and political career there, but kept Detroit ties: one of his brothers leads a Baptist church in the city, and in 2006 he spoke at a MOSES interfaith meeting at Holy Redeemer Church in Southwest Detroit. He represented Minnesota's 5th district in Congress from 2007 to 2019, served as deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, and has been Minnesota attorney general since 2019.
Highlights
- First Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress (2006)
- U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th district, 2007–2019
- Minnesota attorney general since 2019
- Graduate of University of Detroit Jesuit High School (1981)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1977–1981
University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
The Jesuit prep school where he played sports and sat in student government, graduating in 1981.
Studied here · 1981–1986
Wayne State University
He studied here and converted to Islam at 19 while a student.
Related place · 2006
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
Southwest Detroit church where he addressed the MOSES interfaith organizing group in December 2006.