President Biden Honors Distinguished Individuals with Presidential Medal of Freedom

 

President Biden Honors Distinguished Individuals with Presidential Medal of Freedom

On Friday, President Joe Biden bestowed the highest civilian honor in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, upon 19 exceptional individuals at a White House ceremony. The recipients included trailblazing activists, astronauts, Olympians, and public figures who have made significant contributions to American society, culture, and art.

Among the honorees was the late Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win a gold medal, who was recognized for his outstanding achievements in athletics. Other notable recipients included Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history, and Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space.

Many of the recipients were fellow Democrats and included former Vice-President Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry, and former Speaker of the House Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Business tycoon and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also honored.

The ceremony recognized groundbreakers in various fields, including Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian to win a Best Actress Oscar, and Teresa Romero, the first Latina to become president of a national union, the United Farm Workers. Phil Donahue, a pioneering television producer, was also awarded a medal.

Activists who have made significant contributions to social justice and human rights were also honored. Opal Lee, who advocated for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday, was recognized, as were civil rights leaders Clarence B Jones, who helped write Dr Martin Luther King Jr's I Have a Dream speech, and Medgar Evers, who died in 1963. Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, and Judy Shepard, an anti-hate crime campaigner, were also awarded medals.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the United States, and it is given to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security, national interests, and world peace of the United States. The medals are awarded annually, and this year's recipients were chosen from a diverse range of fields and backgrounds.

During the ceremony, President Biden made a lighthearted remark about his own age, joking that he was "getting old" and might need to start using a walker soon. He also mistakenly referred to Michelle Yeoh as "Michael Yeoh" before quickly correcting himself.

The ceremony was a celebration of the achievements and contributions of these exceptional individuals, and it served as a reminder of the importance of recognizing and honoring those who have made a positive impact on American society and culture.