President Joe Biden awards 19 Presidential Medals of Freedom

The recipients of this year's awards include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, father Gregory Boyle, former Secretary of State John Kerry, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, Democratic South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, former Vice President Al Gore, and renowned Civil Rights leader Clarence B. Jones.

By Misty Severi

Published: May 3, 2024 4:22pm

President Joe Biden awarded 19 Presidential Medals of Freedom on Friday, which is the highest civilian honor, to people who made a significant contribution to the "prosperity, values, or security of the United States."

Previous recipients include Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Bill and Melinda Gates, Barbra Streisand, and former President Bill Clinton.

The recipients of this year's awards include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Father Gregory Boyle, former Secretary of State John Kerry, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, Democratic South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, and former North Carolina GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Former Vice President Al Gore, and renowned Civil Rights leader Clarence B. Jones also received the honor.

"These nineteen 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. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service."

Astronomer Jane Rigby, actress Michelle Yeoh, astronaut Ellen Ochoa, and activist Opal Lee, who is most known for her efforts to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, are also honored this year.