President Biden will be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, to 19 recipients, including prominent figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, and Katie Ledecky. The awards ceremony will take place at the White House on Friday. The honorees are recognized for their leadership, community service, and contributions to shaping America for the better. This is the second time that President Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with the latest round of recipients including both living and deceased individuals.
Among the recipients of the 2024 Presidential Medal of Freedom are individuals from various fields such as politics, activism, journalism, and sports. Some of the notable honorees include Michael Bloomberg, Father Gregory J. Boyle, and Rep. Jim Clyburn. Elizabeth Dole, Phil Donahue, and Medgar Wiley Evers, who is being honored posthumously for his efforts against segregation in Mississippi, are also among the recipients. Al Gore, who won the popular vote in the 2000 presidential election and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his climate change work, is another awardee.
The list of honorees also includes Clarence B. Jones, a civil rights activist who helped draft Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, and John Kerry, a former Secretary of State and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Katie Ledecky, known for her accomplishments in swimming with seven Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals, is being recognized for her achievements. Opal Lee, Ellen Ochoa, and Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, are also among the distinguished recipients.
Other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom include Jane Rigby, the chief scientist of the James Webb Space Telescope; Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm Workers; Judy Shepard, co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation; and James Francis Thorpe, the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal. Michelle Yeoh, an actress who won an Academy Award for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” is also being honored. The diverse group of honorees represents a wide range of contributions to society and exemplifies the values of leadership, service, and community engagement.
The awards ceremony will be a celebration of the achievements and contributions of the honorees, recognizing their dedication to making a positive impact on American society. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a prestigious honor that reflects the recipients’ commitment to excellence and leadership in their respective fields. President Biden’s selection of these individuals for the award highlights their significant roles in shaping the nation and serves as a tribute to their lasting legacies.
