President Biden announced last Friday that he would be awarding 17 Americans with the Medal of Freedom. It is the nation’s highest civilian honor and can be awarded to the national leaders in politics, sports, arts, civil rights, and others.
The recipients of the medal had “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come,” said the White House.
The President will award the recipients on Thursday at the White House. The honor was established by President John F. Kennedy and was made to honor “any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution” to national security, world peace or “cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” says the original executive.
The honorees include:
– Simone Biles, who has won thirty-two world championship and Olympic medals and is also an advocate on children in foster care, athletes’ mental health and more.
– Sandra Lindsay, the nurse who first received the COVID vaccine outside of clinical trials.
– Denzel Washington, an adorned actor and is also a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls club. He has won the Oscars twice, has two golden globes, and other important awards.
– Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011 at an event in Tucson and founded a self-titled organization that was dedicated to end gun violence.
– Fred Gray, an important civil rights attorney who represented multiple civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.
– Julieta Garcia, who is the first Latina college president according to the White House.
– Sister Simone Campbell, who is is a member of the Sister of Social Service, and an advocate for economic justice.
– Father Alexander Karloutsos, who was the assistant of Archbishop Demetrios of America.
– Khizr Khan, who spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and became a target of Donald Trump.
– Megan Rapinoe, an Olympic championin soccer and who is an advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice, and other equality issues.
– Wilma Vaught, an a retired female general from the Armed Forces, a huge accomplishment.
– Raul Yzaguirre, the CEO and president of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He also was the U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic during Obama.
– Diane Nash, who founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee.
There were also posthumous honorees including:
– Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc.
– Richard Trumka, who was the president of AFL-CIO.
– John McCain, who served the U.S. Navy and represented Arizona in both Houses of Congress.
Sources:
https://time.com/6193564/president-biden-to-award-medal-of-freedom-biles-mccain/
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/us/politics/presidential-medal-of-freedom-says-something-about-presenter-too.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/us/politics/biden-medal-of-freedom-biles-mccain.html
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/biden-award-medal-freedom-biles-mccain-giffords-86158081
The recipients of the medal had “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come,” said the White House.
The President will award the recipients on Thursday at the White House. The honor was established by President John F. Kennedy and was made to honor “any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution” to national security, world peace or “cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” says the original executive.
The honorees include:
– Simone Biles, who has won thirty-two world championship and Olympic medals and is also an advocate on children in foster care, athletes’ mental health and more.
– Sandra Lindsay, the nurse who first received the COVID vaccine outside of clinical trials.
– Denzel Washington, an adorned actor and is also a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls club. He has won the Oscars twice, has two golden globes, and other important awards.
– Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011 at an event in Tucson and founded a self-titled organization that was dedicated to end gun violence.
– Fred Gray, an important civil rights attorney who represented multiple civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.
– Julieta Garcia, who is the first Latina college president according to the White House.
– Sister Simone Campbell, who is is a member of the Sister of Social Service, and an advocate for economic justice.
– Father Alexander Karloutsos, who was the assistant of Archbishop Demetrios of America.
– Khizr Khan, who spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and became a target of Donald Trump.
– Megan Rapinoe, an Olympic championin soccer and who is an advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice, and other equality issues.
– Wilma Vaught, an a retired female general from the Armed Forces, a huge accomplishment.
– Raul Yzaguirre, the CEO and president of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He also was the U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic during Obama.
– Diane Nash, who founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee.
There were also posthumous honorees including:
– Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc.
– Richard Trumka, who was the president of AFL-CIO.
– John McCain, who served the U.S. Navy and represented Arizona in both Houses of Congress.
Sources:
https://time.com/6193564/president-biden-to-award-medal-of-freedom-biles-mccain/
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/us/politics/presidential-medal-of-freedom-says-something-about-presenter-too.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/us/politics/biden-medal-of-freedom-biles-mccain.html
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/biden-award-medal-freedom-biles-mccain-giffords-86158081
