On Friday, the White House announced the list of 17 people who will be awarded the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for their achievements in arts and sciences, and dedication to the country. President Joe Biden will present the medals at the White House next week.
The honor is reserved for people who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal public or private endeavors, the White House said.
President Joe Biden’s honoree list includes great people from film, sports, politics, the army, academia and facilities in civil rights and social justice. Among recipients, a few of them have been deceased for a while.
They are:
The most accomplished American gymnast Simone Biles, with 32 Olympic and World Championship medals winning.
Nurse Sandra Lindsay, who was the first recipient of the arm injected COVID-19 vaccine.
Late senator John McCain who died in 2018. He was once imprisoned in Vietnam for 5 years as a navy. The Republican nominated him for running for the president in 2008. Biden said McCain was a “dear friend” and “a hero.”
2-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington. He is also a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Sister Simone Campbell. She is an advocate for economic justice, immigration system reform and healthcare policy.
The first Latino college president Julieta Garcia. She was the former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville and named one of the best college presidents by Time magazine.
Founder of Giffords, an organization aiming to eliminate gun violence, Gabrielle Giffords.
Attorney Fred Gray. He was a black civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr.
Co-founder and CEO of Apple company Steve Jobs, who died from cancer in 2011.
Assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America, Father Alexander Karloutso.
Khizr Khan. He is an immigrant from Pakistan whose military son was killed in Iraq. He attracted national attention after doing speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Diane Nash, who was organizing some civil rights events that marked heavily in the last century.
Olympic gold medalist and 2-time Women’s World Cup soccer champion Megan Rapinoe. She advocates actively for gender payment equality, racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
Retired senator Alan Simpson. He advocates for campaign financial reform, effective governance, and marriage equality.
Former president of AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, died in 2021. He also served as a president of the United Mine Workers.
Brigadier general Wilma Vaught, one of the most decorated females in U.S. Army history, who broke gender barriers in her rising ranks.
Raúl Yzaguirre, 30-year as the president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, advocates civil rights significantly.
The honorees who’ll receive medals from Biden “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,” the White House said.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656880259211x494198309205519740/Biden%20to%20award%20Medal%20of%20Freedom%20to%20Biles%2C%20McCain%2C%20Giffords%20-%20ABC%20News.pdf
The honor is reserved for people who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal public or private endeavors, the White House said.
President Joe Biden’s honoree list includes great people from film, sports, politics, the army, academia and facilities in civil rights and social justice. Among recipients, a few of them have been deceased for a while.
They are:
The most accomplished American gymnast Simone Biles, with 32 Olympic and World Championship medals winning.
Nurse Sandra Lindsay, who was the first recipient of the arm injected COVID-19 vaccine.
Late senator John McCain who died in 2018. He was once imprisoned in Vietnam for 5 years as a navy. The Republican nominated him for running for the president in 2008. Biden said McCain was a “dear friend” and “a hero.”
2-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington. He is also a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Sister Simone Campbell. She is an advocate for economic justice, immigration system reform and healthcare policy.
The first Latino college president Julieta Garcia. She was the former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville and named one of the best college presidents by Time magazine.
Founder of Giffords, an organization aiming to eliminate gun violence, Gabrielle Giffords.
Attorney Fred Gray. He was a black civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr.
Co-founder and CEO of Apple company Steve Jobs, who died from cancer in 2011.
Assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America, Father Alexander Karloutso.
Khizr Khan. He is an immigrant from Pakistan whose military son was killed in Iraq. He attracted national attention after doing speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Diane Nash, who was organizing some civil rights events that marked heavily in the last century.
Olympic gold medalist and 2-time Women’s World Cup soccer champion Megan Rapinoe. She advocates actively for gender payment equality, racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
Retired senator Alan Simpson. He advocates for campaign financial reform, effective governance, and marriage equality.
Former president of AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, died in 2021. He also served as a president of the United Mine Workers.
Brigadier general Wilma Vaught, one of the most decorated females in U.S. Army history, who broke gender barriers in her rising ranks.
Raúl Yzaguirre, 30-year as the president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, advocates civil rights significantly.
The honorees who’ll receive medals from Biden “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,” the White House said.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656880259211x494198309205519740/Biden%20to%20award%20Medal%20of%20Freedom%20to%20Biles%2C%20McCain%2C%20Giffords%20-%20ABC%20News.pdf
