“The week of the 4th of July reminds us of what brought us together so long ago, and still binds us — binds us at our best, what we strive for. We the people, do what we can to ensure that the idea of America is the purpose of freedom, it shines like a sun to illuminate the future of the world,” Biden said in his inaugural address. “This is the soul of our nation. This is who we are as Americans.” The medal “is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the welfare, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other important social, public, or private endeavors,” the White House said. The President awarded the medal posthumously to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, former Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington was scheduled to attend the event to receive his medal, but the White House said he had tested positive for Covid-19 before the ceremony. Biden noted the actor’s absence and said he “couldn’t be here today, but he wanted to be” and said he would give him the medal at a different time. Rapinoe, a member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team who is an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion, is the first female soccer player to receive the medal. Biden also noted that Biles, 25, is the youngest person ever to receive the award. The list of recipients included Fred Gray, who was one of the first black members of the Alabama state legislature after Reconstruction and who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King as a lawyer. It also featured one of the most decorated women in US military history, retired Brigadier General Wilma Vaught. an intensive care nurse who was the first American woman to receive a Covid-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials, Sandra Lindsay. and the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president, Dr. Julieta Garcia. Lindsay told CNN’s Boris Sanchez on Thursday that she wanted to use her platform to encourage people to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Her message to those still skeptical about getting the vaccine, she said, is “keep doing your research. Reach out to people you trust. I’m still here, it’s been almost three years, and I’m still advocating. So if you are not protected yet, please go out and protect yourself.” Other recipients included: Catholic social justice leader Sister Simone Campbell, the former executive director of NETWORK who leads “Nuns on the Bus,” a group of politically active nuns. Civil rights activist Diane Nash, who worked with Martin Luther King and is a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Father Alexandros Karloutsos, former vicar general of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Civil rights advocate Raúl Yzaguirre, who served as CEO and president of the National Council of La Raza, and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming. “President Biden has long said that America can be defined in one word: potential. These 17 Americans demonstrate the power of potential and embody the soul of the nation — hard work, perseverance and faith,” the president said in a statement. White House. . Biden is a Medal of Freedom recipient himself. Then-President Barack Obama surprised his vice president with the award in 2017. This story was updated with additional developments on Thursday. CNN’s Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.
