President Biden is awarding the Medal of Freedom to 19 people, including civil rights icons such as the late Fannie Lou Hamer and prominent political leaders such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire Democratic fundraiser George Soros.
He's also honoring actors and athletes, including Michael J. Fox, Denzel Washington as well as Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi and Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the retired basketball star who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships.
"These nineteen Americans are great leaders who have made America a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world," the White House said in a statement.
Biden will also posthumously grant the medal to former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the father of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who President-elect Trump has nominated to be his secretary of Health and Human Services; and former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, as well as George W. Romney, who served as the chairman of the American Motors Corp. before becoming Michigan governor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He is also the father of Utah Sen. Mitt Romney.
Additional recipients include:
José Andrés – the renowned chef who brought food aid around the world through his World Central Kitchen.
Bono – the frontman for legendary rock band U2 and activist against AIDS and poverty.
Tim Gill – the entrepreneur whose work advanced LGBTQI rights and equality.
Jane Goodall, a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist whose research transformed human understanding of primates and human evolution.
Ralph Lauren, a fashion designer who has also helped influenced culture, business, and philanthropy.
William Sanford Nye - who inspired and influenced generations of American students as "Bill Nye the Science Guy."
David M. Rubenstein – the co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group, where he built one of the most successful global investment firms.
George Stevens, Jr. - the American writer and director who founded the American Film Institute and co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors.
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