Birth Name: Keith Maurice Ellison
Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Date of Birth: August 4, 1963
Ethnicity:
*African-American (father)
*African-American, Louisiana Creole (African, French), Spanish, Cuban, small amount of Croatian (mother)
Keith Ellison is an American politician.
Keith is the son of Clida Cora (Martinez) and Leonard Ellison, a social worker and a psychiatrist. He was raised a Roman Catholic, but converted to Islam at the age of 19.
Keith’s father is African-American. His mother is of one eighth Spanish, one eighth Cuban, as well as African-American, Louisiana Creole, and a small amount of Croatian, ancestry.
Keith’s paternal grandparents were Zollie Crawford Ellison (the son of Zollie Crawford Ellison and Lucy/Lula) and Marian. Keith’s great-grandfather Zollie was born into slavery.
Keith’s maternal grandfather was Frank Maurice Martinez (the son of George Martinez and Clida/Clyda/Clydia Chester). Keith’s great-grandfather George was born in Louisiana, to a Spanish father and a Cuban mother, and was listed as black or mulatto on censuses. Clida was African-American, from Texas.
Keith’s maternal grandmother was Doris Felicia Balthazar (the daughter of Carroll Augustin Balthazar and Cora Marinovich). Carroll was the son of Francois Paul Balthazar, who was Louisiana Creole, of African (including Ewe Togolese) and French descent, and Martha Jones, who was African-American. Cora was a Louisiana Creole; her surname likely originates with Antoine Marinovich, a Croatian immigrant, who settled in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He married Marie Givanovich, a Louisiana Creole.
Sources: Genealogy of Keith Ellison (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com/
Family history of Keith Ellison – http://www.msnbc.com/
Keith’s paternal grandfather, Zollie Crawford Ellison, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3FR-4SK
Keith’s maternal grandfather, Frank Maurice Martinez, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVQ6-KVN
Frank on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMTT-R5Q
Keith’s maternal grandmother, Doris Felicia Balthazar, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV7W-4C4
Doris on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMYT-SNQ