Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients

Marian Anderson was an American contralto concert performer from Philadelphia. Born in 1897 to a schoolteacher and ice and coal seller, Anderson showed musical talent from an early age. She started singing in her church choir at age 6 and at age 14, with her powerful and beautiful voice, she moved up to the adult choir. The other members were so impressed with her abilities that they started “Marian Anderson’s Future Fund” to help raise money for professional training (Biography 2015). After her

few years later in 1987, she was honored at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. where she received the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the two top governmental honors for civilians in the United States (“Rosa Parks” Contemporary Black Biography). The Congressional Gold Medal Of Honor, Parks said "is encouragement for all of us to continue until all people have equal rights" (“Rosa Parks” St. James Encyclopedia of Popular). She believed

sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Her concert there, on Easter morning, drew a live audience of 75,000, and millions more heard it over the radio. In 1942 she established the Marian Anderson Award for talented young singers; among the recipients were Camilla Williams, Mattiwilda Dobbs, and Grace Bumbry. Anderson married Orpheus H. Fisher, a New York architect, in 1943. In 1948 Anderson underwent a dangerous operation for the removal from her esophagus of a cyst that threatened to damage

Arthur Ashe, of whom you may know as a famous Tennis player who died by HIV or a posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, observed, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Your summer, and your subsequent years in the US Naval Academy

William (Bill) Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington to William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Gates. He grew up in a middle class family with two sisters; one older than him, and one younger. Bill was much of a book worm in his early years and his behaviors seemed to be quite a concern to his parents. Taking action, they decided to enroll their son into an elite prep school, Lakeside School. Bill exceeded expectations by excelling in all his classes almost immediately, with his favorites

In the beginning God created man and woman, however, this creation has resulted in years of gender inequality. Since the beginning of time, men have had more rights and freedom than women. The two sexes have biological differences, however, these biological differences have somehow resulted in different gender roles and ideals. Gender is a social construct that was created to make society feel comfortable by having order. This social construct is constantly supported through films, media, and even

When counting radio, television and internet broadcasts, Graham’s lifetime audience likely exceeded 2.5 billion. And his impact on America’s development as a superpower during the second half of the 20th century was profound, as he advised 12 presidential administrations from Harry Truman to Barack Obama, along with countless other global heads of state. Graham was the representative of American

Leadership and Legacy Maya Angelou Tiavounta Hudson Thesis Even though Maya Angelou had several problems in her life she overcame them and became successful, she became a civil rights activist and she also wrote poems and books that inspired people to become writers and many more other things. Background In the late 1950's the civil rights movement begins,The civil rights movement was about racial discrimination and the segregation between African American people and white people. African American

Andrew Wyeth was born July 12, 1917 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of five children. Andrew was a sickly child and so his mother and father made the decision to pull him out of school after he contracted whooping cough. He received schooling in all subjects including art education. Andrew had quite a vivid memory and a fantastic imagination that led to a great fascination for art. His father recognized an obvious raw talent that had to be nurtured. While his father was teaching

play Calypso Heat-wave and recorded her first album “Miss Calypso”. In addition, she guest starred in the television mini- series Roots and became one of Hollywood’s first black female film directors (Watson 9). Even more, she served on two U.S. Presidential committees. By the time Angelou is forty, she has occupied many positions including “ a cook, waitress, prostitute, madam, actress, dancer, singer, playwright, and author” ( ). She accomplishes more than the average person achieves in a lifetime