Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people on a cold Saturday during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. The medal, the highest civilian accolade in the USA, was delegate to politics, civil rights, sciences, sport and art personalities. Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, got a standing ovation when she was pinning her medal accompanied by her family.
The honourees included the actor-director, Denzel Washington and the philanthropist, George Soros. For the last time as the president, Biden praised the award winners for their noble work in developing the ethos and values of the country.
Posthumous Honours
Four medals were awarded to this year’s recipients who included former governor of Michigan George W Romney who was posthumous, former Attorney General Robert F Kennedy who was also posthumous, ex-Defence Secretary Ash Carter and civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer who was also posthumous. Kennedy was named by Biden as one of his political role models.
Celebrating Contributions
Finally, the target audience included various levels of achievements of the recipients. The conservationist Jane Goodall, the actor Michael J Fox, sports celebrities Lionel Messi and Magic Johnson were among those so recognized. Bill Nye, the science communicator, and Ralph Lauren, the first designer to receive this kind of medal were also honored. Other recipients were Vogue magazine’s editor – in – chief Anna Wintour, businessman Tim Gill and George Stevens Jr. the founder of American Film Institute.
A Legacy of Recognition
It has been awarded 654 times since the ceremony began in 1963 with recipients having included such legends as Martin Luther King Jr and Mother Teresa. The ceremony of this year further celebrated the resilience of diverse contributions in America for establishing national welfare, values, and world peace .
