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WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden on Friday will name 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including several Democratic allies such as former Vice President Al Gore, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Other recipients include former Secretary of State John Kerry and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. as well as Olympics swimming champion Katie Ledecky, actress Michelle Yeoh, former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and journalist and television talk show host Phil Donahue.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the “prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”
The awards will be presented a White House ceremony Friday.
Three Americans are receiving the medal posthumously: civil rights activist Medgar Wiley Evers, athlete Jim Thorpe and former U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.
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“President Biden often says there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together,” the White House said in a statement. “These 19 Americans built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations and businesses that shaped America for the better. They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work and service.”
Biden is a past recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, receiving the honor as vice president from President Barack Obama in 2017 before the end of their second term.
The full list of 19 recipients:
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and former three-term mayor of New York.
Gregory Boyle
Father Greg Boyle is a Jesuit Catholic priest who is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang-intervention and rehabilitation program.
James Clyburn
Rep. Jim Clyburn, a top ally of Biden, is the former assistant Democratic Leader and Majority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has served in Congress since 1993.
Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole has served her country as a U.S. senator from North Carolina, secretary of Transportation, secretary of Labor, and president of the American Red Cross.
Phil Donahue
Phil Donahue is a journalist and longtime host of Donahue, the first daytime talk show to feature audience participation.
Medgar Wiley Evers
Medgar Evers, who died in 1963, is a World War II veteran and late helped fight against segregation in Mississippi. After he was murdered at his home at age 37, his wife Myrlie continued the fight to seek justice and equality in his name.
Al Gore
Al Gore is a former vice president and former U.S. senator and member of the House of Representatives from Tennessee. “After winning the popular vote, he accepted the outcome of a disputed presidential election for the sake of our unity,” the White House said. He previously won the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for his work on climate change.
Clarence Jones
Clarence B. Jones is a civil rights activist and lawyer who helped draft Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
John Kerry
Secretary John Kerry is a Vietnam War veteran, former Secretary of State, U.S. senator from Massachusetts, and the first special presidential envoy for climate in the Biden White House.
Frank Lautenberg
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who died in 2013, was a five-term United States Senator and New Jersey’s longest-serving Senator.
Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky is the most decorated female swimmer in history. She has won seven Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals.
Opal Lee
Opal Lee is an educator and activist known for her efforts to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.
Ellen Ochoa
Ellen Ochoa is the first Hispanic woman in space and the second female Director of NASA’s renowned Johnson Space Center.
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi served as the 52nd Speaker of the House and has represented San Francisco in Congress for more than 36 years.
Jane Rigby
Jane Rigby, an astronomer who grew up in Delaware, is the chief scientist of the world’s most powerful telescope.
Teresa Romero
Teresa Romero is the president of the United Farm Workers and the first Latina to become president of a national union in the United States.
Judy Shepard
Judy Shepard is the co-founder of the Matthew Shephard Foundation, an organization created in honor of her son who was murdered in one of the nation’s most notorious anti-gay hate crimes.
Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe, who died in 1953, was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal. The country’s original multi-sport superstar, he went on to play professional football, baseball and basketball.
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh is an actress known for her work in a number of blockbusters over four decades. She became the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
