The ACLU of North Carolina’s 2017 Liberty Awards Dinner was held on Saturday, October 14, at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel. This celebration is our annual opportunity to recognize groups and individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to protecting and advancing civil rights and civil liberties in North Carolina. This year we also had the privilege of hearing from Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five" teenagers who served five years in prison for a crime he did not commit, as our keynote speaker.
![Yusef Salaam giving the keynote address](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22548729_10156310068385348_7012650983492617407_o.jpg?itok=MMvSApTn)
![Yusef Salaam giving the keynote address](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22538722_10156310072875348_989216570346511125_o.jpg?itok=W1w8iscY)
Congratulations again to this year's honorees:
James E. Williams, Jr., Frank Porter Graham Award for Lifetime Achievement
![James Williams, Jr. accepting his award](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22548977_10156310070035348_1340236246876067164_o.jpg?itok=iRpqPckV)
Elaine Gordon, Paul Green Award for work to end the death penalty
![Elaine Gordon accepting her award](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22548874_10156310049865348_8619192768369887113_o.jpg?itok=69M1KMDy)
Joaquín Carcaño, Payton McGarry, Angela Gilmore, Hunter Schafer, Maddy Goss, and Quinton Harper, Sharon Thompson Award for Courageous Pursuit of Equal Rights for LGBTQ North Carolinians
![Plaintiffs in our case against HB2 and HB142 at the awards dinner](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22496400_10156310047715348_2902185293433237929_o.jpg?itok=CZfuCQQF)
Nan Lund, Bob Voelker and Liesa Montag-Siegel, Champion of Liberty Award
![Nan Lund and Liesa Montag-Siegel accept their award](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22519821_10156310066525348_8185795947926814026_o.jpg?itok=2iqR2cjl)
UNC Center for Civil Rights, Champion of Liberty Award
![UNC Center for Civil Rights accepting their award](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22496347_10156310064460348_570706974085008950_o.jpg?itok=R31qnrhp)
Davion M. Washington, Jr., Trailblazer Award for Early Achievements
![Davion Washington, Jr. accepting his award](https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/wysiwyg/22548583_10156310072475348_520231947732632181_o.jpg?itok=mqtefdkl)
Thank you to Replacements, Ltd. for their generous support of our "Justice For All" dinner as our Title Sponsor. View more photos from the evening on our Facebook page.