Inspired by his Jesuit teachers, Father Greg Boyle has dedicated his life to healing and hope.
As a young priest assigned to one of Los Angeles' most underserved parishes, he founded Homeboy Industries, now the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world.
It has helped thousands of Angelinos turn their lives around, connecting them to jobs, counseling, and a warm-hearted community where all are welcome and cherished.
Answering Jesus' call to serve the least of these, Father Greg is a testament to the power of God's healing love and America's enduring grace.
James E. Clyburn.
The son of a South Carolina preacher, Jim Clyburn is a beacon of moral clarity.
A graduate of South Carolina State University, this student of history became a teacher and movement leader for a fairer and freer America.
His dignity and decency are surpassed only by the love shared with his dear Emily, who marched with him and often ahead of him from classrooms to Congress.
Through three decades in the House of Representatives, he has transformed the lives of millions of Americans by passing groundbreaking laws for all our families.
Jim Clyburn is touched by the divine, and his march brings us closer to a more perfect union.
Elizabeth Dole.
A singular trailblazer, Elizabeth Dole was the first woman to hold nearly every position she had.
Over the course of four decades in public service, she served as the Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Labor, President of the American Red Cross, and Senator from North Carolina.
She established a preeminent foundation dedicated to supporting America's military caregivers.
Known for breaking barriers and building bridges, Elizabeth Dole has paved a path for generations of Americans to serve with honor and dignity.
Donahue.
From Irish Catholic roots in Cleveland, Phil Donahue rose to transform television and reshape the national conversation.
Over 29 years, nearly 7,000 episodes, and 20 Emmys, he pioneered the live daytime talk show, holding a mirror up to America.
He interviewed everyone from our greatest stars to our forgotten neighbors, uniting us around the toughest issues of our time.
Insatiably curious and accepting, he saw every guest as worthy of interest and worked to build understanding, bringing us to see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans.
Evers, accepting on behalf of Medgar Wiley Evers.
Medgar Evers was willing to face death to give America new life.
An Army soldier, he fought for freedom abroad during World War II.
At the height of the civil rights movement, he was a crusading lawyer fighting for equality at home, investigating lynchings, organizing voter drives, and dismantling school segregation.
The life he chose to live and the risks he took to do right are a reminder of the history he made and our charge to keep.
In a life cut too short, Medgar Evers' legacy casts a ray of light on our quest to redeem the soul of our nation.
All Gore.
Over a lifetime of service, Al Gore has been an Army serviceman, senator, vice president, presidential nominee, and a visionary climate statesman.
In a historic act of selflessness and love for country, he accepted the outcome of a disputed election for the sake of our unity and the strength of our democracy.
Through his Nobel Peace Prize-winning leadership, he inspires millions to confront the existential threat of climate change.
He is a model of American resilience, proof that what matters most is the courage to take on a cause bigger than ourselves.
Clarence B. Jones.
The Philadelphia son of domestic workers and a former foster child, Clarence Jones became the wordsmith for a movement.
A doer of the word, he was an Army soldier on the front lines in the battlefield and a civil rights lawyer on the front lines in the courtroom.
Wise and unflinching, Clarence Jones's lyrical prose and prophetic life shows us all the enduring power of the idea of America.
An advisor and speechwriter to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he helped write a new American Declaration to ensure we hold these truths to be self-evident, is forever linked with I Have a Dream.
John Forbes Carey.
John Carey's public service spans seven decades and seven continents.
He demonstrated courage fighting in a war and equal courage fighting against it.
A decorated naval officer who volunteered for combat, he made peace with the country for which he'd fought on the battlefield.
Elected five times to the Senate by the people of Massachusetts, he was the Democratic Party's presidential nominee and came within one state of victory.
The son of a foreign officer, diplomacy is in his DNA.
As Secretary of State, he worked for peace, negotiated arms control, and forged the historic Paris Agreement on climate change.
He built on that work as the first ever special presidential envoy for climate.
His bold and relentless public service reflects his enduring belief in America, where our best days are still to come.
Bonnie Lautenberg, accepting on behalf of Frank R. Lautenberg.
Frank Lautenberg was a patriot of the greatest generation.
Born in a family of Jewish immigrants, he enlisted in the Army at 18 and served in Europe during World War II.
After graduating college on the GI Bill, he built and ran one of the world's most successful software companies.
He later became New Jersey's longest-serving senator.
As a strong advocate for consumer protection, the environment, and safe transportation, he took on the danger of secondhand smoke and fought for health care for people living with HIV AIDS.
When history called, Frank Lautenberg answered.
Opal Lee.
Two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freedom for enslaved Americans was finally enforced in Galveston, Texas, marking the nation's first Juneteenth.
In that same town, Opal Lee was born six decades later.
Growing up in a home that was burned down by a racist mob, she understood that history must never be erased.
A teacher and advocate, she helped lead a movement with the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.
More than 150 years after that day in Galveston, Texas, she stood next to another American president who followed her lead and made Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The nation thanks Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth.
Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky.
A humble leader, Olympian, and champion of unparalleled determination, Katie Ledecki is the most decorated female swimmer in history with 10 Olympic Olympic medals and counting.
An athletic prodigy from a swimming family, she captured the world's admiration with her punishing strokes and unmatched stamina, pushing through and setting the highest standards for some of the toughest races ever known.
Powered by faith, family, and teamwork, Katie Ledecky is a symbol of perseverance and strength with a heart of gold that shines for the nation and for the world.
Ellen Ochoa.
A granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, Ellen Ochoa lived up to their dreams that anything is possible in America.
The first in her family to go to college, she became a groundbreaking aeronautical engineer, inventor, and astronaut on her way to becoming the first Hispanic woman to travel to space.
In addition to nearly a thousand hours in orbit, she is the second woman to serve as director of NASA's renowned Johnson Space Center.
A beloved trailblazer and mentor, Dr. Ochoa continues to inspire people around the world to reach for the stars and achieve their dreams.
Nancy D'Alessandro Pelosi.
After raising five children with her beloved husband Paul and leading the California Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi became San Francisco's tireless champion in Congress.
As the first woman Speaker of the House, she has shepherded some of our nation's most consequential laws by keeping coalitions together and standing with, and up to, presidents of both parties.
Her resolve on January 6th, 2021 helped guide America through one of our darkest days.
For her efforts to protect freedom and democracy, Nancy Pelosi will be known forever as the greatest Speaker of the House in American history.
Jane Rigby A daughter of the great state of Delaware, Jane Rigby's passion for astronomy began as a child peering at the stars through a small telescope in a soybean field.
Following her instinct and imagination, she has become a pioneering astrophysicist now managing the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever launched into space.
A brilliant and prolific author, Dr. Rigby is an inspiration and tireless champion for the LGBTQI Plus community.
In both her professional and personal life, Dr. Rigby reminds us to never lose our sense of wonder, hope, and spirit of adventure as Americans.
Teresa Romero.
A trailblazing labor leader, Teresa Romero is a champion for farm workers across the fields, orchards, and vineyards of America who feed and fuel our nation.
Born in Mexico, she has built an American life in service to others, standing up for one of our most vulnerable yet essential groups of workers and giving them the voice, hope, and inspiration to push for change.
With grace under fire, her fight for safe working conditions, fair pay, and a path to citizenship is bringing us closer to realizing the full promise of America as a nation of immigrants.
Judy Shepard.
Judy Shepard took a mother's most profound pain and turned her son's memory into a movement.
Matthew Shepard's brutal death 25 years ago shocked the conscience of our nation and galvanized millions of Americans to stand against anti-LGBTQI hate.
Together with her husband Dennis, their courageous advocacy has since driven tremendous progress in our laws and culture, giving young people and their families strength and hope for the future.
the shepherd family's compassion reflects the best of america where everyone is equally deserving of dignity and respect
gail lynn hannon accepting on behalf of james francis thorpe Jim Thorpe was the country's original multi-sport athlete and one of the greatest stars in American history.
A member of the SAC and Fox Nation, he embodied his given name, Bright Path, and became the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal.
He broke the world record in the decathlon and captured the public's awe as a professional football, baseball, and basketball player.
He demonstrated moral courage time and time again as he overcame shameful bigotry.
Jim Thorpe's story reminds us of enduring contributions of tribal history to American history and the ongoing work of healing the souls of our nations.
Michelle, yo.
Michelle Yeo is one of the most acclaimed actresses of our time.
For four decades, she has faced and shattered stigma and stereotypes to forge a groundbreaking career as one of the most versatile performers in the world, becoming the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Her efforts to advance gender equality, conservation issues, and global health have been felt around the world.
Equal parts performer and pioneer, Michelle Yeoh continues to enrich American culture and inspires us to believe in possibilities on the big screen and beyond.
I tell you what, it makes you proud to be an American, doesn't it?
Let's give one more round of applause for this year's Presidential Freedom Recipients.
Distinguished guests, please remain in your seats until the President, the Vice President, and the Medal of Freedom Recipients have departed the East Room.
C-SPAN's Washington Journal, our live forum involving you to discuss the latest issues in government, politics, and public policy from Washington, D.C. to across the country.
Coming up Saturday morning, Shondell Newsome with the group Small Business for America's Future talks about the state of small businesses in the U.S.
And then a discussion on how education policy could change under the incoming Trump administration with Ed Choice, President and CEO Robert Endlow.
Join in the conversation live at 7 Eastern Saturday morning on C-SPAN, C-SPAN now, or online at cspan.org.
Next week, we'll bring you live oral argument from the Supreme Court starting Monday when the justices consider a case regarding the Food and Drug Administration's rejection of flavored vape products amid concerns about underage smoking.
That's live at 10 a.m. Eastern on C-SPAN.
Then later in the week, there's a case questioning the constitutionality of a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
You can follow that live Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern on C-SPAN 3.