President Obama Congratulates First Amendment Freedom Award Honorees

Date: October 5, 2009

President Barack Obama surprised ADL's 4th Annual First Amendment Freedom Award Dinner honorees, Abner J. Mikva and Newton N. Minow with a video appearance congratulating them and also praising the work of ADL.  The big surprise came in the middle of an intimate conversation with these two legendary Chicago icons, moderated by ADL board member and Dinner Chair, Bill Marovitz.

The honorees have been life-long friends and have each devoted nearly half a century in public service.  Also honored at the event were the student winners of the "Our First Amendment Freedoms" contest, an educational partnership with the Chicago Tribune and Greenberg Traurig, LLP.  The winners were chosen out of over 1,700 applicants who were asked to describe or portray how one or more of the five freedoms listed in the First Amendment personally affects their daily life.

More than 500 people attended the dinner at the Chicago Hilton. "This annual event brings together outstanding honorees who have upheld the First Amendment for decades with today's youth to teach all about the five freedoms," says ADL Board member and Event Chair, Keith Shapiro.  "While the original drafters could never have visualized the astonishing changes in technology, they knew that the principles they articulated were timeless."