Obama hands out Medal of Freedom to athletes, actors and architects By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.29.16 Word Count 807 Ellen DeGeneres (left) at the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony conducted by President Barack Obama (right) at the White House in Washington, D.C., November 22, 2016. Obama presented the medal to 22 pioneers in science, sports, public service, human rights, politics and the arts. Photo: Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images WASHINGTON, D.C. Twenty-one men and women stood recently at the White House awaiting the nation's highest non-military honor. They all had at least one thing in common. They represented President Barack Obama's vision of America. It is a vision where pioneering scientists, groundbreaking performers, crusading activists and unconventional artists create the national destiny. Each of these men and women received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his or her contribution to the nation. This is the highest non-military honor a person can receive during a time of peace. The honor began in 1963, with President John F. Kennedy. Obama has given the Presidential Medal of Freedom to at least 114 people. This is more than any other U.S. president. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
The Well Known And Unknown Nearly half of the latest honorees were artists, actors or musicians. They included singer Bruce Springsteen, actor Robert Redford and "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels. There were also computer engineers and famous architects. There were also social activists honored, including those who work on behalf of climate change, the LGBT community, Native Americans and Muslims. "On a personal note, part of the reason why these events are so special to me is because everybody on this stage has touched me in a very powerful, personal way, in ways that they probably couldn't imagine," Obama said. Throughout his time in office, Obama has used the honor to recognize pioneers in many fields. Rear Adm. Grace Hopper invented the first compiler for a computer programming language and was known as "the first lady of software." She received the award this year even though she died in 1992. Margaret Hamilton was also recognized for leading the team that created onboard flight software for NASA. Obama poked fun at some of the famous people being honored. He said that they included "renowned character actors like the guy from 'Space Jam,'" which is a 1996 liveaction and animated comedy featuring basketball great Michael Jordan. Obama said the world should be thankful for Bill and Melinda Gates. The couple oversees the Gates Foundation and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on causes including fighting the spread of disease in the developing world and developing clean-energy technologies. He teased Bill Gates about being a nerd. But the president also spoke of how many of those gathered for the ceremony had fought for social justice and greater tolerance in the U.S. These people included the late Blackfoot tribal community leader Elouise Cobell. She filed a series of lawsuits to secure greater tribal rights. Entertainer Ellen DeGeneres came out as lesbian about 20 years ago at a time when being gay was less accepted by society. She was recognized for her courage. Lighthearted Political Points Obama has used these ceremonies to make a political point and to be lighthearted. There were also unintentional funny moments. The president had to reach high to put the medal around basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's neck, who is very tall. Singer Diana Ross had to lift up her enormous hair to receive a medal around her neck. Obama praised scientist Richard Garwin for working to reduce "the risk of nuclear war" after helping invent the hydrogen bomb and other inventions. "He even patented a mussel washer for shellfish," Obama said. "I really want to see that mussel washer." Some of the music and film industry's biggest stars received medals, including Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks and Cicely Tyson. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
De Niro, Obama joked, has played "a mobster who runs a casino, a mobster who needs therapy, a father-in-law who's scarier than a mobster [and] Al Capone a mobster." He noted that both Abdul-Jabbar and Jordan had dominated professional basketball. When the extremely tall Abdul-Jabbar played in college, the college athletic association had banned dunking. Obama said, "When a sport changes its rules to make it harder just for you, you are really good." The Michael Jordans Of Their Fields Jordan was so exceptional that people commonly refer to "the Michael Jordan" of a given field, like "the Michael Jordan of neurosurgery, or the Michael Jordan of rabbis, or the Michael Jordan of outrigger canoeing," the president observed. "They know what you're talking about." Obama has often spoken of his appreciation for architects. As such, Frank Gehry and Maya Lin were part of the group of honorees. Obama also honored Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College for overseeing one of the nation's "most diverse student bodies" over the past 20 years. Newton Minow made his mark as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission under President John F. Kennedy. However, Obama noted that "as far as I know, he's the only one of today's honorees who was present on my first date with Michelle." They all worked at the same firm and happened to be seeing Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" at the same movie theater. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz 1 Which section of the article provides the BEST evidence that some of the Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees were chosen because of the work they did to help others? Introduction [paragraphs 1-3] "The Well-Known And Unknown" "Lighthearted Political Points" "The Michael Jordans Of Their Fields" 2 Read the paragraph from the section "The Well-Known And Unknown." "On a personal note, part of the reason why these events are so special to me is because everybody on this stage has touched me in a very powerful, personal way, in ways that they probably couldn't imagine," Obama said. Which inference is BEST supported by the paragraph? President Obama takes great pleasure in presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to people. President Obama chose honorees whom he imagined would be especially pleased to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Obama has had a longstanding friendship with every person he chose to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to anyone who has personally supported him. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
3 Which answer choice BEST explains how the section "Lighthearted Political Points" contributes to the article? The section both describes the problems president Obama encountered when he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to some people and describes the solutions to those problems. The section provides more examples of the people who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and also provides examples of President Obama's sense of humor as he honored some of these people. The section explains what caused President Obama to make jokes when he presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to people and describes the effects of these jokes. The section describes how President Obama's presentations of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to athletes was very different from his presentations of the medal to film stars. 4 Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3]. Obama has given the Presidential Medal of Freedom to at least 114 people. This is more than any other U.S. president. How does this paragraph help to develop the MAIN idea of the article? It suggests that President Obama is better than other U.S. presidents in finding people who have contributed to the nation. It indicates that some U.S. presidents have had difficulty finding people who have contributed to the nation. It suggests that President Obama does not put much thought or effort into selecting people to whom he should award the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It indicates that President Obama believes that people who have contributed to the nation should be valued and recognized. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5