Advancement Project National Office is turning 20 and we're throwing the movement party of the year to celebrate!
 

Today, I am excited to share the news of our final honoree! Actor, activist and Advancement Project board member, Jesse Williams, will receive our Lift Every Voice Award. Join Advancement Project National Office and Jesse Williams on October 17 at Freedom Now! Freedom Forever! at Dock 5 @ Union Market in Washington, DC.

The Lift Every Voice Award is a special award that we give to people who use their influence to lift all voices, not just their own. Our first Lift Every Voice Award was given to Harry Belafonte, a long-time friend and supporter of Advancement Project. This year, we are thrilled to carry on his legacy by honoring Jesse Williams, his protégé and fellow actor-activist.

Why am I so excited to honor Jesse? Because he's an amazing advocate, a great board member and a close friend. More importantly, I've seen Jesse in action and he embodies the Advancement Project National Office movement approach. When Jesse shows up like he did in Ferguson after the murder of Mike Brown, or in Miami to support voting rights for Returning Citizens, he goes into listening mode. He's a participant, not a celebrity. He takes a humble approach to make sure that the voices of impacted communities are centered, not just his. At his core, Jesse cares about the issues we all care about.

We're thrilled to celebrate Jesse Williams with the Lift Every Voice Award. Joining him at the event to receive awards will be:

• V.O.T.E. (Voice of the Experienced) which will accept the Turning the Tide Award in recognition of their vision and movement leadership to transform the criminal legal system and restore the rights of formerly incarcerated, with directly impacted people leading the way;

• Puente Human Rights Movement which will accept the Just Democracy Award in recognition of their bold and courageous organizing to end the criminalization of migrant communities, with indigenous Latinx people leading the way.

We continue to accept sponsors and tickets are still available. Join our honorees and friends! This is not a gala, it's a movement! If you haven't already, you will get a chance to taste our very own Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor Justice ReMix'd, enjoy live art and our GoARTful collection, and you'll have the opportunity to take action for racial justice - in real time.
 

We'll also be joined by poet and activist Gabrielle Ramirez who will perform an original piece that he's written exclusively for Advancement Project National Office to commemorate our special anniversary.

I hope you will join us on October 17! We don't get the opportunity to celebrate this big with our friends and supporters every year. This will be a special year ... and you won't want to miss it! (And don't forget about the day before when we cohost our very first Movement Lawyering Conference at Howard University School of Law!)

Best,
 

Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director

Advancement Project National Office