President Joe Biden presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to 17 people this year, including actor Denzel Washington, Olympian Simone Biles, and the late Senator John McCain.
Biden’s list included both living and deceased honorees from Hollywood, sports, politics, the military, civil rights, and social justice advocacy. Those who will 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 stated.
Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history with 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She has been outspoken on issues such as athletes’ mental health, children in foster care, and sexual assault. She is also the youngest person to ever receive the honor.
John McCain spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the US Navy. He represented Arizona in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Biden mentioned McCain as a “dear friend” and “a hero.” He passed away in 2018 after a battle with brain cancer.
Denzel Washington is a two-time Academy award-winning actor, director, and producer. He has also won a Tony award, two Golden Globes, and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He, however, could not attend the ceremony after testing positive for COVID.
President Biden also recognized Sandra Lindsay, the New York nurse who received the first COVID-19 vaccine dose in the US on live television in December 2020. She has since become an advocate for COVID vaccinations.
The other 13 medal recipients include Sister Simone Campbell, Julieta García, Gabrielle Giffords, Fred Gray, Father Alexander Karloutsos, Khizr Khan, Diane Nash, Megan Rapinoe, Alan Simpson, Wilma Vaught, and Raúl Yzaguirre. Steve Jobs and Richard Trumka received the honor posthumously.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656880259211x494198309205519740/Biden%20to%20award%20Medal%20of%20Freedom%20to%20Biles%2C%20McCain%2C%20Giffords%20-%20ABC%20News.pdf
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/01/president-biden-announces-recipients-of-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom/
Biden’s list included both living and deceased honorees from Hollywood, sports, politics, the military, civil rights, and social justice advocacy. Those who will 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 stated.
Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history with 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She has been outspoken on issues such as athletes’ mental health, children in foster care, and sexual assault. She is also the youngest person to ever receive the honor.
John McCain spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the US Navy. He represented Arizona in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Biden mentioned McCain as a “dear friend” and “a hero.” He passed away in 2018 after a battle with brain cancer.
Denzel Washington is a two-time Academy award-winning actor, director, and producer. He has also won a Tony award, two Golden Globes, and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He, however, could not attend the ceremony after testing positive for COVID.
President Biden also recognized Sandra Lindsay, the New York nurse who received the first COVID-19 vaccine dose in the US on live television in December 2020. She has since become an advocate for COVID vaccinations.
The other 13 medal recipients include Sister Simone Campbell, Julieta García, Gabrielle Giffords, Fred Gray, Father Alexander Karloutsos, Khizr Khan, Diane Nash, Megan Rapinoe, Alan Simpson, Wilma Vaught, and Raúl Yzaguirre. Steve Jobs and Richard Trumka received the honor posthumously.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656880259211x494198309205519740/Biden%20to%20award%20Medal%20of%20Freedom%20to%20Biles%2C%20McCain%2C%20Giffords%20-%20ABC%20News.pdf
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/01/president-biden-announces-recipients-of-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom/
