In just a few short weeks President Joe Biden will step down as the President of the United States; but before he passes the baton, he has been busy passing out pardons and medals.
On January 4, Biden awarded 19 celebrities from politics, advocates, science, sports, and entertainment the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Four of the medals are posthumous presentations.
President Biden opened the ceremonies by saying, “for the final time as president I have the honor bestowing the Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, on a group of extraordinary, truly extraordinary people, who gave their sacred effort, their sacred effort, to shape the culture and the cause of America. Let me just say to each of you, thank you, thank you, thank you for all you’ve done to help this country.”
This year’s recipients will join the previous 654 Medal of Freedom honourees including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou and Mother Teresa.
Once of the most high profile recipients was accompanied by her husband, daughter, and grandchildren when former presidential candidate and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton elicited a standing ovation while receiving her Medal.
Former Michigan governor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development George W. Romney, former Senator, Attorney General, and presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy Sr., former Secretary of Defense Ashton Baldwin Carter, and the founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Fannie Lou Hamer were all presented with Presidential Medals of Freedom posthumously.
The remaining recipients of the Medal of Freedom are:
chef and World Center Kitchen founder Jose Andres
Activist and U2 lead singer Bono
Activist and award-winning actor Michael J Fox
LGBTQI+ advocate and entrepreneur Tim Gil
Conservationist Jane Goodall
Basketball champion and philanthropist Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Fashion designer and philanthropist Ralph Lauren
Footballer, Goodwill Ambassador, and activist Lionel Messi (Messi was not in attendance due to scheduling issues)
Science and space advocate William Sanford Nye – known to millions of children as Bill Nye the Science Guy
Philanthropist, preservationist, and co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group David M. Rubenstein
Philanthropist and hedge fund manager George Soros
Film producer, director, and playwright George Stevens Jr
Award winning actor, director, and producer Denzel Washington
Editor-in-Chief of “Vogue” magazine and fashion icon Anna Wintour
Earlier in the week President Biden awarded former Representative Liz Cheney, and Representative Bennie Thompson with the Presidential Citizens Medal – the second highest civilian award in the U.S. – for their contributions to the investigation of the incident on January 6, 2021. Eighteen other citizens were also awarded during the ceremony.