A national icon and one of Detroit’s hometown heroes will serve as Co-Grand Marshal for the 90th America’s Thanksgiving Parade® presented by Art Van.
Today, The Parade Company announced Federal Judge Damon J. Keith as this year’s Co-Grand Marshal for the parade. Judge Keith served as a judge for 10 years on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he became the first African American chief judge of that court, before being elevated to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit where he has served for the past forty years. This year’s theme is “90 Years Together,” marking a major milestone for the storied parade that is broadcast in more than 160 cities across the country. The Parade Company will make a series of announcements for the 90th year including new float builds and celebrities.
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Keith will join the impressive lineup of past parade Grand Marshals, including Golden Globe-winning actor Tim Allen, Olympic gold medal winning ice dancers, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, former Detroit Tiger’s manager Jim Leyland, Congressman John Dingell and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Bill and Lisa Ford, Art Van Elslander and Paul W. Smith, among others.
“As we embark upon our 90th year of America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Art Van, we could not think of a finer person than Judge Damon Keith to serve as Co-Grand Marshal,” said Tony Michaels, President & CEO of The Parade Company. “He is a great gift to our city and celebrating his accomplishments on Woodward Avenue Thanksgiving morning will be a magical moment for all Detroiters and the millions of people who watch the Parade across the country.”
“The Parade Company is incredibly honored to shine a light on one of the most distinguished and iconic men of our time, the Honorable Judge Damon J. Keith,” said Daniel J. Loepp, Chairman, Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation and President & CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Keith is known to the City of Detroit as a giant for Civil Rights justice. The Detroit native grew up in the Detroit Public School system, graduating from Northwestern High School. During his time at Howard University Law School, Keith was taken under the wing of a young Thurgood Marshall. The future Supreme Court Justice was one of Keith’s law professors and mentor. The Wayne State University Law Graduate was also instrumental in opening one of the first African American law firms in Detroit. In 2011, Wayne State’s Law School opened the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.
“As a native Detroiter I have many happy memories of being camped out on Woodward Avenue early Thanksgiving morning (in record-cold temperatures during some years), peeking through the massive crowds to marvel in excitement at the beautiful floats from our America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Art Van,” said the Honorable Judge Damon J. Keith. “For almost as many years as the parade has been in existence, I have had the privilege of witnessing this national pastime, first as a young child with my parents, and then seeing that same amazement on the faces of my own children years later. Our Thanksgiving Parade holds a very special place in my heart, and I am extremely honored and humbled to have been chosen as a Co-Grand Marshal for this year’s 90th America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Art Van.”
Recognized as one of the best Thanksgiving parades in the country by U.S. News & World Report Travel, America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Art Van will be held on Thursday, November 24. For more information, visit theparade.org.
The parade will be featured on WDIV-TV Local 4, including a one-hour national broadcast reaching more than 160 major cities across the country. News/Talk 760 WJR’s Paul W. Smith and CBS Radio will also broadcast live from the parade route.