The 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom were reportedly announced by Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday.
This medal is the highest civilian distinction in the United States, and it was awarded to political luminaries such as Hillary Clinton, who was the past Democratic presidential nominee, and Fannie Lou Hamer, who was a pioneer in the fight for civil rights.
Actors, athletes, and influential figures in the fashion industry, such as editor Anna Wintour and designer Ralph Lauren, were also included on the list.
The individuals who have been selected to receive this award are those “who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world,” according to a statement released by the White House.
When the president bestows this distinction, the White House typically takes use of the occasion to highlight individuals and principles that the president considers to be of unique significance.
Following his death, the medal was presented to Robert F. Kennedy, who had previously served as the Attorney General of the United States. Kennedy was also the father of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President-elect Donald Trump has proposed to serve as his secretary of Health and Human Services.
Also included in the list of winners was George Soros, a far-left puppetmaster and a megadonor for the Democratic Party.
A number of other awardees include former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and George W. Romney, who served as governor of Michigan and is the father of Mitt Romney, who just retired from his position as a senator in Arizona.
The medal was presented to both of them after their deaths, along with Hamer, who was one of the co-founders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
Even though he passed away in 1977, Hamer was instrumental in laying the framework for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Tim Gill, an entrepreneur and LGBTQ activist; David Rubenstein, the co-founder and co-chairman of Carlyle Group; and George Stevens Jr., founder of the American Film Institute and co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors, were also awarded the medal.
[READ MORE: New Report Reveals Shocking Nazi Ties to Famous Global Bank]
