The 10 men and nine women come from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, science, and religion.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Joe Biden named 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Friday, and two Carolina heavyweights made the list.
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Elizabeth Dole, a native of Salisbury, North Carolina, and the first woman to be appointed U.S. Secretary of Transportation, is one of the 19 recipients. Additionally, U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina is being recognized for his 30 years of service in the House of Representatives.
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Clarence B. Jones said he thought a prankster was calling when he answered the phone and heard the person on the other end say he was calling from the White House.
“I said, 'Are you kidding or are you serious?'” Jones recalled. The caller swore he was serious when he called with the news that President Joe Biden wanted to award Mr. Jones the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.
Jones, 93, will be honored for his work in the civil rights movement. He was the lawyer who provided legal advice to Martin Luther King Jr. and helped write the opening lines of King's “I Have a Dream” speech from the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington. It is.
Jones will be honored by the Democratic president on Friday for what the White House calls “exemplary contributions to American prosperity, values, security, world peace, or other significant social and public contributions.” He is one of 19 diverse people. Or even a personal effort. ”
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The 10 men and nine women come from the worlds of politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, science, and religion. Three medals will be awarded posthumously.
“These 19 Americans built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and businesses that shaped America for the better,” the White House said in a statement. “They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. Throughout their careers, they have consistently demonstrated the power of community, hard work, and science.”
Seven politicians are among the winners: former New York City Mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, Congressman James Clyburn, former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, D.C., and climate activist Michael Bloomberg. Activist and former Vice President Al Gore, Biden's former climate envoy John Kerry, former Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D.N.J.), who died in 2013, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.N.J.). California).
“Words cannot express the deep honor and gratitude I feel when receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This recognition is not only a testament to my work, but also a recognition of the countless people who have supported me on my journey. It's also a testament to the giants who fought alongside me in the pursuit of justice, equity, and progress. And the support of my beloved family.”
Clyburn's support of his longtime friend Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary helped Biden win a landslide in South Carolina, secure the party's nomination, and ultimately the White House. It is believed that it gave him strength. Bloomberg has launched a brief bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Dole, a Republican, represents North Carolina in the Senate and has also served as secretary of transportation, secretary of labor, and president of the American Red Cross. She currently heads a foundation that supports military caregivers.
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Pelosi is the first and only woman elected to the Speaker's post and second in line for presidential succession.
Medgar Evers will be honored posthumously for his work fighting racism more than 60 years ago as the NAACP's first field officer in Mississippi in the 1960s. He was 37 years old when he was shot and killed in his driveway in June 1963.
Michelle Yeoh made history last year when she became the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Jim Thorpe, who died in 1953, was the first Native American American to win an Olympic gold medal.
Judy Shepard co-founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The foundation is named after his son, a 21-year-old gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and tied to a fence in 1998.
“I was so touched,” Jones said after realizing what the caller had said.
“I'm 93 years old and have some health issues, but by the grace of God I was able to wake up this morning,” he told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday. “I look forward to whatever the White House wants me to do.”
Other medal winners include:
— Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit Catholic priest who founded and runs Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention and rehabilitation program.
— Phil Donahue, journalist and former daytime television talk show host.
— Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer of all time.
—Opal Lee, an activist best known for pushing for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday. Biden did so in 2021.
— Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and the second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
— Jane Rigby, astronomer and chief scientist of the world's most powerful telescope. She grew up in Biden's home state of Delaware.
— Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers and the first Hispanic woman to lead a national union in the United States The union supports Biden's re-election and endorsed him in 2020.
In 2022, Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles, the late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, and gun control advocate Gabby Giffords.
Biden also knows what it feels like to receive a medal. As president, Barack Obama presented the medal to Vice President Biden a week before his administration ended in 2017.
