On May 3, President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Michelle Yeoh and 18 other people in the East Room of the White House.
WASHINGTON – President Biden on Friday named 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian award, awarded to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, security, world peace, or other important social, public, or private endeavors of the United States. It's an honor.
The White House said the honorees “build teams, coalitions, movements, organizations and businesses that shape America for the better.” They are the pinnacle of leadership in their respective fields. Throughout their careers, they have consistently demonstrated the power of community, hard work, and service. ”
The award was presented by President Joe Biden at the White House on May 3. Honorees also included actress Michelle Yeoh, known for her groundbreaking work in numerous blockbuster films spanning over 40 years. For her starring role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, she recently became the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Her other recent credits include the films Crazy Rich Asians, Last Christmas, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The School for Good and Evil, and A Haunting in Venice. ” and upcoming movies. “Wicked” and “Avatar 3”. TV show “Star Trek:
Discovery,” “The Witcher: Blood Origins,” “American Born Chinese,” and “Brothers Son.”
Biden praised Yeo for breaking “stereotypes and glass ceilings to enrich and enhance American culture.”
Other recipients are:
Michael R. Bloomberg, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and three-term mayor of New York City.
Father Gregory J. Boyle, founder and director of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles;
Congressman James E. Clyburn, former Assistant Democratic Party Leader and Majority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Elizabeth Dole has served as a U.S. senator, secretary of transportation, secretary of labor, and president of the American Red Cross.
Phil Donahue, journalist and television pioneer who pioneered daytime issues-oriented talk shows.
Medgar Wiley Evers (posthumous), who led the fight against racial discrimination in Mississippi. After he was murdered in 1963 at the age of 37, his wife Marley continued to seek justice and equality in his name.
Al Gore, former vice president, U.S. senator and congressman, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change.
Clarence B. Jones is a prominent civil rights activist and lawyer who helped draft Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech.
John Forbes Kerry, former Secretary of State, U.S. senator, and first presidential climate change envoy.
Frank R. Lautenberg (posthumously), five-term U.S. senator known for his significant work on environmental protection and consumer safety.
Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer of all time. She has won 7 Olympic gold medals and 21 World Championship gold medals.
Opal Lee is an educator and activist known for her efforts to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.
Ellen Ochoa is the first Hispanic woman in space and the second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Representative Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi is the 52nd Speaker of the House of Representatives and has represented San Francisco in Congress for more than 36 years.
Jane Rigby is an astronomer and the lead scientist on the world's most powerful telescope.
Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers and the first Latina to serve as president of a national union in the United States
Judy Shepard, co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, founded it in memory of her son, who was murdered in one of the nation's most notorious anti-gay hate crimes.
James Francis Thorpe (posthumously), the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal. He went on to play professional football, baseball, and basketball.
