President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a group of entertainers, former government officials, athletes, and philanthropists for their contributions to public service. Nineteen people were honored at a White House ceremony on January 4, the latest in a series of events Mr. Biden has held in the final weeks of his presidency as he tries to enshrine his legacy.
Among those receiving the medal are former Secretary of State and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, retired basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, football star Lionel Messi, philanthropist George Soros, long-time fashion editor and media executive Anna Wintour, and film star Denzel Washington. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal, presented to individuals 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.
Although the Medal of Freedom is not meant to be partisan, the honorees can reflect the political leanings of a president. Ms. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, ran against Donald Trump, who is about to return to the White House. Mr. Soros is a prominent supporter of liberal causes and candidates. And Mr. Robert F. Kennedy, the former attorney-general and U.S. senator, will be cited posthumously, just as his son and namesake has been chosen by Trump to oversee public health policy. In Trump’s first term, he presented the medal to the conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and the Republican donor Miriam Adelson.
Other recipients on January 4 include the Spanish-born chef José Andrés, who founded World Central Kitchen, which the White House said “revolutionized the way food aid reaches communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world.”
Actor Michael J. Fox, best known for the Back to the Future movies, was honored for his advocacy for Parkinson’s disease research and development; William Nye, known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” for his championing of science education; David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, for his dedication to the restoration of landmarks; and the singer Bono, of Irish band U2, for his AIDS activism.
The founder of the publishing-software company Quark, Tim Gill, was singled out for helping “to secure key victories in the fight for marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections,” according to the White House. The filmmaker George Stevens Jr., the founder of the American Film Institute, was praised for “American ideals of racial equity and justice for half a century.” Mr. Biden will also present the medal to the primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall.
Mr. Biden also posthumously honored Ashton Carter, a defense secretary in the Obama administration; Fannie Lou Hamer, a founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party who laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act; and George Romney, an auto company chief executive, a Republican governor of Michigan, and the third secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Mr. Biden on January 2 gave former representative Liz Cheney and representative Bennie Thompson the Presidential Citizens Medal for their leadership of the congressional committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The president on January 3 awarded the Medal of Honor to seven former U.S. Army soldiers and the Medal of Valor to eight public safety officers for their acts of bravery.