Detroiters and the Black Press are mourning the loss of one of city’s most civically active and dedicated sons, Michigan Hall of Fame journalist Luther Keith who passed away suddenly last Wednesday, March 5, only hours after delivering a celebration performance at Detroit’s legendary Baker’s Keyboard Lounge.
Keith was a tour de force in metro Detroit community where he was widely recognized as a respected journalist and a fervent community activist, having founded the ARISE Detroit! community organization, where he successfully led a coalition of community groups dedicated to promoting volunteerism throughout the city. The community advocate was preparing for the organization’s 19th annual Neighborhood Day to be held on Aug. 2
The nephew of civil rights icon, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge Damon Keith, Luther began his career at the Detroit News in 1972, after graduating from the University of Detroit. He was the first Black sportswriter at a Detroit daily newspaper.
He was later hand-picked by Detroit News editor Ben Burns to become the first director of the Journalism Institute for Minorities at Wayne State University. “I can’t even really imagine a Detroit without him,” said institute grad Kim Trent, a former Detroit News reporter who now serves as deputy director for prosperity for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
The esteemed newsman’s love for arts, culture, and community also included a deep-rooted commitment to music. Known to many as Luther “Badman” Keith, the blues guitarist honed his skills playing in clubs and venues around Detroit. He represented Detroit with one of the city’s top blues bands at the International Blues Challenge and played for Morgan Freeman at the actor’s former blues club, Ground Zero Blues Club in Memphis.
A trusted colleague and friend, Keith regularly contributed to the Michigan Chronicle highlighting news and accomplishments in neighborhoods across Detroit.
“Luther texted me at 12:42 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5,” explained Keith’s close friend Keith Owens, Communications manager at Office of the Wayne County Executive and former Michigan Chronicle executive editor. The two had performed on stage together in a blues jams session organized by Keith to celebrate Owens’ induction into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. “The text read, ‘Keith, congrats on a great nite, folks had a ball. When I woke up at 5:26 a.m., I texted him, ‘I literally could not have asked for a better celebration. So much fun and just the perfect night,” recalled Owens. “What I didn’t know was that by then he had already slipped away. But … for me Luther will never be gone. People may pass away, but true friendships never do.”
Luther Keith was 74 years old. He and his wife, Jacqueline, have one child, Erin, whom he described in 2019 on Facebook as his “social justice lawyer/activist daughter.”
Funeral services for Luther Keith are being held at Kemp Funeral Home at 24585 Evergreen Rd. Visitation will take place on March 13, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The family hour will be held on Friday, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at , Fellowship Chapel located at 7707 West Outer Drive. Burial services will take place directly after Woodlawn Cemetery at 19975 Woodward Ave.