President Obama will award them the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is given to those who have made significant contributions to national security, world peace or cultural developments.
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But next week, the entertainment legend with legions of gay fans will be presented with yet another honor and this one is the highest that can be given to a civilian by the United States government: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
‘For the president to do this is just something that I could have never anticipated, ‘ she said on the Senate floor of the news, according to the Washington Post.
Another Democrat, global relations guru Lee Hamilton was also chosen for his 40-year career in foreign policy. “But I also understand that I stand on the shoulders of many others: family, staff, friends and Hoosier voters who enabled me to serve”.
Since retiring from Congress, he served as vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission and co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group. She was a champion of minority education and employment opportunities throughout her tenure in Congress. After leaving Congress in 1983, Chisolm taught at Mount Holyoke College and frequently lectured and gave speeches at colleges and universities throughout the country.
Another posthumous medal will go to long-time U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, D-N.Y. She spent five years there and 10 in the House of Representatives before taking her current seat.
That includes working for the Environmental Protection Agency under Presidents Nixon and Reagan, with his key achievements including a ban on DDT and getting the automobile industry to agree to use catalytic converters, which reduce pollution.
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Other honorees include veterans advocate Bonnie Carroll; NASA mathematician Katherine G. Johnson; and former EPA chief and deputy attorney general William Ruckelshaus, known for refusing to fire the Watergate special prosecutor. Their principled stance was a pivotal moment for the Justice Department and galvanized public opinion for upholding the rule of law.
