President Joe Biden presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to 19 recipients, including actor Denzel Washington, basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and posthumously, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer.
The ceremony took place in the White House East Room, where Biden praised the recipients for their contributions to America’s fabric.
Established in 1945, the Medal of Freedom was modernized by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 to honor figures like Marian Anderson, the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.
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