President Joe Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 19 people on Friday
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Al Gore were among those who received the nation's highest civilian honor on Fridaybestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 19 people on Friday, including civil rights icons such as the late Medgar Evers, political leaders such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the actor Michelle Yeoh.
“I said, ‘Is this a joke or is this serious?’" Jones recalled. The caller swore they were serious and was calling with the news that Biden wanted to recognize Jones with the medal.Jones, 93, was honored for his activism during the Civil Rights Movement. He's a lawyer who provided legal counsel to Martin Luther King Jr. and helped write the opening paragraphs of the “I Have a Dream” speech that King delivered at the Lincoln Memorial at the 1963 March on Washington.
Biden in his remarks acknowledged that Clyburn's endorsement in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary helped him score a thundering win in South Carolina, powering him to his party's nomination and ultimately the White House. Bloomberg mounted a short-lived bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Evers received posthumous recognition for his work more than six decades ago fighting segregation in Mississippi in the 1960s as the NAACP's first field officer in the state. He was 37 when he was fatally shot in the driveway of his home in June 1963. Judy Shepard co-founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation, named after her son, a gay 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who died in 1998 after he was beaten and tied to a fence.“I'm 93 years old with some health challenges, but I woke up this morning thanks to the grace of God,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Thursday. “I'm looking forward to whatever the White House would like for me to do.
— Jane Rigby, an astronomer who is chief scientist of the world's most powerful telescope. She grew up in Delaware, Biden's home state.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 politicians, activists, athletes and othersThe 10 men and nine women hail from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy, science and religion. Three medals will be awarded posthumously.
Read more »
Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 politicians, activists, athletes and othersPresident Joe Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a diverse group of 19 people.
Read more »
Biden to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 politicians, activists, athletes and othersThe full list of 10 men and nine women hail from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy, science, and religion.
Read more »
Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 politicians, activists, athletes and othersThe 10 men and nine women hail from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy, science and religion. Three medals will be awarded posthumously.
Read more »
President Biden to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 politicians, activists, athletes and moreThe 10 men and nine women hail from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy, science and religion. Three medals will be awarded posthumously.
Read more »
Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 politicians, activists, athletes and othersThe 10 men and nine women hail from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy, science and religion. Three medals will be awarded posthumously.
Read more »