NCLCV was honored to welcome Senior Associate Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Green Tie Awards.

A distinguished jurist and nationally recognized civil rights attorney, Justice Earls has dedicated her career to advancing justice, equality, and fairness for all North Carolinians. Growing up in a mixed-race family during a time when interracial marriage was illegal in much of the United States, she developed a deep commitment to protecting the rights and freedoms of others.

For more than three decades, Justice Earls has fought for equal justice under the law, advocating for voting rights, workplace fairness, and educational opportunity in state and federal courts. Her career has included service as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice under President Bill Clinton, work alongside renowned civil rights attorney Julius Chambers at the UNC Center for Civil Rights, and founding the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in 2007, where she served as Executive Director for a decade.

Elected to the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2018 and now serving as Senior Associate Justice, Earls has remained a steadfast voice for protecting constitutional rights, access to quality education and healthcare, environmental protections, fairness in the marketplace, and the fundamental right to vote. Her lifelong commitment to justice and democracy made her an inspiring and fitting keynote speaker for the 2026 Green Tie Awards.