President Joe Biden held a star-studded ceremony at the White House on Saturday for the latest batch of Medal of Freedom recipients — which include Bono, Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, Lionel Messi, Hillary Clinton, Jane Goodall and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to people 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,” according to the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“For the final time as president, I have the honor of restoring the Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, on a group of extraordinary, truly extraordinary people who gave up their sacred air … to shape the culture and the cause of America,” Biden said Saturday, naming 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “So let me just say to each of you, thank you, thank you, thank you for all you’ve done to help.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president, the White House said in a statement, “believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot and put decency above all else.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“These 19 individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place,” the statement added. “They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hillary Clinton was honored for having “made history many times over decades in public service, including as the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate,” the White House release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“After serving as Secretary of State, she became the first woman nominated for president by a major United States political party,” the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the other honorees was Tim Gill, described by the White House as “a visionary entrepreneur whose work has advanced LGBTQI rights and equality.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four political figures received posthumous medals. Former Attorney General and Sen. Robert Francis Kennedy, the brother of former President John F. Kennedy and the father of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “fiercely combatted racial segregation” and “sought to address poverty and inequality in the country,” the White House said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defense Secretary Ashton Baldwin Carter “devoted his career to making the nation safer for all,” the White House added, while former Michigan Gov. George Romney — the father of former senator and Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney — will also be honored for his years of public service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prominent civil rights activist and medal honoree Fannie Lou Hamer “transformed the struggle for racial justice in America,” the White House said. “She challenged the exclusion of Black voices in the political system and laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.”<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Several cultural icons were also awarded the medal, among them U2 front man and activist Bono, actor and Parkinson’s disease research advocate Michael J. Fox, actor Denzel Washington and playwright George Stevens Jr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fashion designer Ralph Lauren and fashion icon Anna Wintour were also honored, as was legendary basketball player Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Soccer great Lionel Messi was also a recipient of the honor but missed the ceremony due to a scheduling conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conservationist Jane Goodall and William Sanford Nye — also known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy” — were honored for their contributions to scientific education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s — the Spanish-American chef who went on to found the World Central Kitchen — was awarded the medal in part due to his work providing relief to “communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world,” the White House said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Medal recipients David M. Rubenstein of The Carlyle Group and George Soros of the Open Society Foundations were honored for their decades of philanthropic work, Saturday’s announcement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement sent to ABC News, Soros said, “As an immigrant who found freedom and prosperity in America, I am deeply moved by this honor,” adding he would accept the medal “on behalf of the many people around the world with whom the Open Society Foundations have made common cause over the past 40 years.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The OSF said Soros’ children and grandchildren will attend the White House ceremony, with OSF Chairman Alex Soros accepting the medal on behalf of his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n