总统乔·拜登周五授予19名美国人总统自由勋章，这是美国最高的平民荣誉。
获奖者群体形形色色，从政治先驱众议员南希·佩洛西和吉姆·克莱伯恩到活动家奥珀尔·李和朱迪·谢泼德以及奥运会游泳运动员凯蒂·莱德基和奥斯卡获奖女演员杨紫琼。
拜登在东厅启动了仪式，称这是“他们在白宫最喜欢的活动之一”。
“今天，我们有另一个非凡的荣誉，将全国最高平民艺术家奖授予19位了不起的人，他们不懈的好奇心、创造力、独创性和希望使他们对更美好的明天充满信心，”总统说。
拜登分享了获奖个人的轶事和成就，并不时谈到当前的政治。
在谈到佩洛西时，拜登赞扬了她在2021年1月6日美国国会大厦袭击事件中的立法能力和领导能力。佩洛西是拜登总统任期前三年担任这一职务的首位女性众议院议长。他说，她将作为“历史上最伟大的众议院议长”而被铭记。
拜登说:“她利用自己的超能力通过了我们国家历史上一些最重要的法律。“1月6日，南希挺身而出捍卫民主……南希是一位才华横溢、务实、有原则和坚定的领导人。”
关于克莱伯恩，拜登指出了他在2020年竞选中的作用，即提供了他至关重要的支持。
“如果没有吉姆，我不会站在这里作为总统颁发这些奖项，”拜登说，并补充说:“我们是一个伟大的国家，因为我们有像吉姆这样的人。”
拜登回忆了他在2012年第一次见到莱德基时的情景，当时他正在担任副总统。他指出，已经获得10枚奥运会奖牌的莱德基将在27岁时参加即将到来的巴黎奥运会。
“有人说游泳太老了- 27。不要让年龄妨碍你，你明白我的意思吗?”81岁的拜登开玩笑说，引起了房间里的笑声。"凯蒂，年龄只是一个数字，孩子。"
他称赞杨紫琼打破了“陈规定型观念和玻璃天花板，丰富和提升了美国文化”。杨紫琼是第一位因在《一夜之间无处不在》中的角色而获得奥斯卡“最佳女演员”的亚洲女性。
拜登还回忆了与李等活动人士的合作，李是这场运动的“祖母”，帮助使6月10日成为自马丁·路德·金日以来的第一个新的联邦假日。他说李是他签署法律后第一个把笔交给的人。
“奥珀尔·李小姐把创造历史，而不是抹去历史作为她的使命，”拜登说。“我们在一个更好的国家，因为你，澳普。谢谢大家。”
同样受到表彰的还有克拉伦斯. b .琼斯，他是马丁.路德.金的演讲稿撰写人，帮助撰写了他著名的演讲《我有一个梦想》。
在对马修·谢泼德的母亲朱迪·谢泼德的讲话中，拜登指出，25年前，她的儿子在21岁时因公开同性恋身份被残忍杀害。
拜登说:“你儿子的残酷谋杀激发了一场运动，导致了以他的名字命名的保护性少数群体裔美国人的法律。”"你坚持不懈的宣传提醒我们，我们不能给仇恨提供安全的避难所."
三枚奖章被追授给了梅德加·威利·埃弗斯，一位二战老兵和民权领袖，1963年被一名白人至上主义者杀害;詹姆斯·弗朗西斯·索普，第一位赢得奥运会金牌的美国土著人;美国参议员弗兰克·r·劳滕伯格是环境问题的倡导者。
他还将这一荣誉授予了2020年民主党初选的对手之一:前纽约市长迈克尔彭博。他表彰了彭博在枪支暴力和气候变化方面的工作，以及在2001年9月11日恐怖袭击后帮助重建的工作。
另一个在星期五被表彰的政治人物是阿尔·戈尔，他在前总统比尔·克林顿时期担任副总统，在2000年的选举中以微弱的优势输给了乔治·w·布什。
拜登说:“在赢得普选后，为了团结和对我们机构的信任，他接受了有争议的总统选举的结果。”"你所做的一切对我来说是惊人的."
其他奖章获得者是弗朗西斯·博伊尔，一位耶稣会天主教牧师，他是Homeboy Industries的创始人和董事;记者兼电视主持人菲尔·多纳休;前国务卿约翰·克里;前参议员伊丽莎白·道尔;艾伦·奥乔亚，首位进入太空的西班牙裔女性，美国国家航空航天局约翰逊航天中心的第二位女性主任;天文学家简·里格比;特蕾莎·罗梅罗，美国农场工人联合会主席。
“关于他们所有人，有太多的话要说，但我们会在这里呆12个小时，”拜登在评论每一位获奖者后打趣道。
“我告诉你，作为一个美国人，你会感到自豪，不是吗?”拜登在所有奖牌颁发后说。
Biden awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Michelle Yeoh and more
PresidentJoe Bidenon Friday awarded 19 Americans with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
The diverse group of recipients ranged from political trailblazers like Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn to activists like Opal Lee and Judy Shephard as well as Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky and Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh.
Biden kicked off the ceremony in the East Room by calling it "one of their favorite events at the White House."
"Today we have another extraordinary honor to bestow the nation's highest civilian artist of mine to 19 incredible people whose relentless curiosity, inventiveness, ingenuity and hope have kept faith in a better tomorrow," the president said.
Biden shared anecdotes and accomplishments of the awarded individuals, and at times touched on the politics of the moment.
Remarking on Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House who served in the role the first three years of Biden's presidency, Biden commended her for her legislative prowess and her leadership during the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. He said she would be remembered as the "greatest speaker of the House of Representatives in history."
"She used her superpower to pass some of the most significant laws in our nation's history," Biden said. "On Jan. 6, Nancy stood in the breach defending democracy … Nancy is a brilliant, practical, principled and determined leader."
On Clyburn, Biden noted his role in helping his 2020 campaign by offering his crucial endorsement.
"I would not be standing here as president and making these awards without Jim," Biden said, adding: "We are a great nation because we have people like Jim."
Biden reminisced about when he first met Ledecky in 2012, when he was serving as vice president. He noted Ledecky, who has won 10 Olympic medals, will be competing in the upcoming Paris games at the age of 27.
"Which some say is old for swimming -- 27. Don't let age get in your way, you know what I mean?" the 81-year-old Biden joked, prompting laughs from the room. "Katie, age is just a number, kid."
He praised Yeoh -- who was the first Asian woman to win "Best Actress" at the Oscars for her role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once" -- for shattering "stereotypes and glass ceilings to enrich and enhance American culture."
Biden also recalled working with activists like Lee, the "grandmother" of the movement that helped make Juneteenth the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. day. He said Lee was the first person he handed the pen to after signing the law.
"Miss Opal Lee made it her mission to make history, not erase it," Biden said. "We're in a better nation because you, Opal. Thank you."
Also honored was Clarence B. Jones, a speechwriter for King who helped pen his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
In his remarks to Judy Shephard, the mother of Matthew Shepherd, Biden noted its been 25 years since her son was brutally killed at 21 years old for being openly gay.
"The brutal murder of your son galvanized a movement, leading to a law in his name to protect LGBTQ Americans," Biden said. "Your relentless advocacy is a reminder that we must give hate no safe harbor."
Three medals were awarded posthumously to Medgar Wiley Evers, a World War II veteran and civil rights leader killed by a white supremacist in 1963; James Francis Thorpe, the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal; and Frank R. Lautenberg, a U.S. senator who was an advocate for environmental issues.
He also gave the honor to one of his 2020 Democratic primary rivals: former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. He recognized Bloomberg for his work on gun violence and climate change, and for helping rebuild after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Another political figure honored Friday was Al Gore, who served as vice president under former President Bill Clinton and who narrowly lost the 2000 election to George W. Bush.
"After winning the popular vote, he accepted the outcome of a disputed presidential election for the sake of unity and trust in our institutions," Biden said. "That to me was amazing, what you did Al."
Other medal recipients were Francis Boyle, a Jesuit Catholic priest who is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries; journalist and television host Phil Donahue; former Secretary of State John Kerry; former Sen. Elizabeth Doyle; Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and the second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center; astronomer Jane Rigby; Teresa Romero, the president of the United Farm Workers.
"There is so much more to say about all of them, but we'd be here for 12 hours," Biden quipped after remarking on each honoree.
"I'll tell you what, makes you proud to be an American doesn't it," Biden said after all medals were awarded.
