Yesterday (January 4), President Joe Biden awarded 19 new recipients the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. U2 singer Bono was an honoree, as were Bill Nye, Denzel Washington, Jane Goodall, Michael J. Fox, Hillary Clinton, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Lionel Messi, among others. Watch the ceremony below.
“Thank you for all you’ve done to help this country. You all literally embody the nation’s creed,” Biden said. “Your innovation, you inspire, you bring on healing and joy to so many lives that otherwise wouldn’t be touched. You answered the call to serve and led others to do the same thing.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is “presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” Previous recipients include Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and more.
Revisit Marc Hogan’s essay “What We Can Learn from the Political Music of Other Depressing Elections” on the Pitch.
