On July 31st 2010 Kartemquin received the John Peter Altgeld Freedom of Speech Award from the Newberry Library. Gordon Quinn and Justine Nagan accepted the award on behalf of Kartemquin as part of the Newberry's annual Bughouse Square Debates. The Newberry stated that "Through documentary filmmaking, Kartemquin Films unflinchingly has held a mirror up to American society and disseminated reports of difficult, ignored, and unpopular sports. Their 2010 film No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, about how racial prejudice divided a town, exemplifies Kartemquin's critical voice." It was the first time the Newberry Library had ever given the award to a documentary film production company.

Today we posted a video of the Altgeld Award ceremony to our Youtube channel. Watch to learn more about the award's history, the Bughouse Square debates, Kartemquin's own relationship with Governor Altgeld, and why the Newberry picked Kartemquin.