President Biden will honor political allies, civil rights figures, celebrities, and politicians with the Medal of Freedom.

Biden to honor key political allies, civil rights leaders, celebrities, and politicians with the Medal of Freedom.

The list comprises two of President Biden's closest allies in the House of Representatives: former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn. Pelosi made history in 2007 as the first woman to become House Speaker and led Democratic opposition to ex-President Donald Trump when she regained the position in 2019. In addition to being an instrumental force in passing several of Biden's key bills, she has been a critical ally in Congress and the campaign. Clyburn is credited with gathering his state's Black vote in support of Biden during the 2020 primaries. His support in South Carolina ignited Biden's momentum and eventual nomination and ultimately culminated in his presidency.

Other recipients include former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who pursued the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination, and actress Michelle Yeoh, the first woman of Asian descent to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is bestowed on recipients who have made exceptional contributions to the country's prosperity, values, and security, world peace, or other significant societal, public, or private pursuits. Biden himself is a recipient, receiving the medal from then-President Obama in January 2021.

Biden's upcoming honorees include numerous public officials, previous political figures, and activists, like former Senator Elizabeth Dole – the first woman to represent North Carolina in the Senate and the wife of late Senator Bob Dole. The list encompasses former Vice President Al Gore, an outspoken advocate in efforts to combat climate change, and former Secretary of State and fellow Biden administration member John Kerry.

The medal will also be conferred upon three deceased individuals: Medgar Evers, a war veteran and civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1963; Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey's longest-serving senator and a proponent of environmental causes; and Jim Thorpe, a legendary figure in various sports and the first Native American to win a gold Olympic medal.

The recipients also involve civil rights activists and advocates, such as: Clarence B. Jones, a lawyer and speechwriter who assisted Martin Luther King in the creation of his "I Have a Dream" speech, Opal Lee, an educator and activist whose efforts led to the establishment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and Judy Shepard, who established an organization in memory of her son Matthew, who was one of the victims of a highly publicized hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community.

More honorees include Delaware-born astronomer Jane Rigby, astronaut Ellen Ochoa, the most accomplished female swimmer in history, Katie Ledecky, veteran journalist and television host Phil Donahue, Jesuit Catholic priest Greg Boyle, and farmworker union president Teresa Romero.

The White House announced that these nineteen Americans had formed teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and corporations that have significantly improved America. "President Biden often states that there is no task beyond our ability when we work together. These nineteen individuals exemplify leadership in their respective fields."