- Written by Bernd Debsmann Jr.
- BBC News, Washington
President Joe Biden has awarded America's highest civilian honor to an activist, astronaut and Olympian in the White House.
Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win a gold medal, was among the 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died in his 1953 year.
Biden also recognized Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history.
Many of the recipients were Biden's fellow Democrats.
Among them are two presidential candidates, former Vice President Al Gore and former Secretary of State John Kerry, who just resigned as the US climate envoy.
Another, Nancy Pelosi, was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House.
“History will remember you as the greatest speaker,” Biden said in brief remarks.
Businessman and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also honored.
image source, Getty Images
Other landmarks honored include Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go into space, and Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian to win the Best Actress Oscar.
At Friday's ceremony, Biden mistakenly called her “Michael Yo” before quickly correcting himself.
Teresa Romero, the first Latina woman to become president of the United Farm Workers union, was honored.
So did Phil Donahue, the first television producer to incorporate audience participation into his daytime talk show.
image source, Getty Images
One of the activists who received the medal was Opal Lee, who advocated for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States. Biden declared June 1 a national holiday during his first year in office.
The president also honored civil rights leader Clarence B. Jones, who helped write Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech, Medgar Evers, who died in 1963, and Home Boyle Industries founder Gregory Boyle and Judy Shepherd were also awarded medals. , anti-hate crime activist.
This medal is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts, culture, and American society.
One of this year's medals will go to Jane Rigby, chief scientist of the James Webb Telescope, the world's most powerful telescope.
