Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American lawyer, politician, and a Democrat. He became the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress when he won the open seat for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which centers on Minneapolis, in the House of Representatives in 2006. He is also the first African American elected to the House from Minnesota, currently serving in the 111th United States Congress. Ellison is al...
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Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American lawyer, politician, and a Democrat. He became the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress when he won the open seat for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which centers on Minneapolis, in the House of Representatives in 2006. He is also the first African American elected to the House from Minnesota, currently serving in the 111th United States Congress. Ellison is also active on a national level in advocacy for Muslims in the United States.
Keith Ellison, the third of five sons, was born and raised a Roman Catholic in Detroit, Michigan by his parents Leonard and Clida Ellison, a psychiatrist and a social worker respectively. Ellison and three of his siblings became lawyers while the other became a doctor. One of his brothers is also the pastor of the Baptist "Church of the New Covenant" in Detroit. Ellison's youth was influenced by the involvement of his family in the civil rights movement, including the...
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