President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in Philadelphia. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"The Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian award — we the people doing what we can to ensure the idea of America, the cause of freedom, shines like the sun to light up the future of the world," Biden said of the medal in a video promoting the latest recipients.
Civil rights leaders are well-represented among the recipients, including: LGBTQ activist Judy Shepard, Juneteenth recognition advocate Opal Lee, lawyer Clarence Jones, and Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
United Farm Workers president Teresa Romero received the award — as well as Catholic priest Fr. Greg Boyle, an anti-gang ministry organizer.
IN TEARFUL FAREWELL, OBAMA AWARDS BIDEN THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM
President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to then-Vice President Joe Biden during an event in the State Dining room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2017. (Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)
The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy. It replaced the Medal of Freedom established by President Harry S. Truman in 1945, which honored individuals who rendered significant aid to the U.S. in World War II.
It is the highest civilian award in the nation and is intended to recognize "any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
Biden himself received the medal from then-President Barack Obama while serving as his vice president on Jan. 12, 2017.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
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