Biden awards the Medal of Freedom to Nancy Pelosi, Medgar Evers, Michelle Yeoh and 16 others

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers and actor Michelle Yeoh are among a diverse group of 19 people who have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. It’s the nation’s highest civilian honor. Former Vice President Al Gore was honored for his climate activism. Also recognized was the late Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win Olympic gold for the United States. Yeoh is the first Asian woman to win a best actress Oscar. The Democratic president says the recipients are “incredible people whose relentless curiosity, inventiveness, ingenuity and hope have kept faith in a better tomorrow.”