Outgoing US President Joe Biden has conferred the US’ highest civilian award on 19 people, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, controversial philanthropist George Soros, Argentinian football star Lionel Messi and actor Denzel Washington, for their contributions to America and the world.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours.
However, due to a scheduling conflict, Argentinian football star Messi could not be present in person at the White House to receive the award from the US president.
“For the final time as President, I have the honour of bestowing the Medal of Freedom on our nation’s highest civilian honour 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,” Biden said.
The honourees “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.
“This group of people leave an incredible mark on our country with insight and influence that can be felt around the globe in major cities and remote areas of life, finding us closer as people and showing us that what’s possible as a nation, nothing beyond our capacity,” Biden said.
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Four medals were awarded posthumously. They are Fannie Lou Hamer, who founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act; former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; George W. Romney, who served as both a Michigan governor and secretary of housing and urban development; and Ash Carter, the former secretary of defense.
