Presidential Medal of Freedom
Denzel Washington to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Denzel Washington is among 17 recipients of the 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom, Joe Biden announced on Friday, July 1st. Marking the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal recognizes individuals who have “made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.” During his four-decade career, Washington has received Academy Awards for his performances in Glory and Training Day while winning three Golden Globes, one Tony (for his revival of Fences), and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment. Advertisement Related Video Washington has also won a whopping 17 NAACP Image Awards since first being nominat...
Dolly Parton Declined Trump’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, Twice
Former POTUS Barack Obama has spoken with regret for having overlooked awarding Parton with the Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honor. “That was a screwup,” he told late night TV host Stephen Colbert in an interview last year. “I’m surprised. She deserves one,” he continued, adding, “I’ll call Biden.” Now that Joe Biden is president, will Dolly accept if the offer was made? “Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she explained on The Today Show. “I don’t work for those awards,” Dolly continued. “It’d be nice but I’m not sure that I even deserve it. But that’s a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it.” She mig...
Dolly Parton Twice Turned Down the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Despite saving a little girl’s life, powerfully backing the Black Lives Matter movement, and funding the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, country music icon Dolly Parton somehow is still without a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. But it’s not because her big heart and philanthropic spirit haven’t been noticed by the White House. Donald Trump’s Administration actually attempted to give her the highest civilian honor not once, but twice — however, Parton turned him down both times. The legendary “Jolene” singer revealed the news on The Today Show on Monday, noting that her decision to twice decline the Presidential Medal had more to do with bad timing than politics. “I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it an...
Barack Obama Says He Made “Mistake” by Not Giving Dolly Parton Presidential Medal of Freedom
Former President Barack Obama has said it was a “mistake” and a “screw-up” that he did not give Dolly Parton a Presidential medal of Freedom. The self-reflection came during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a wide-ranging conversation that covered the drone program, Obama’s frustrations with his failure to close Guantanamo Bay, and whether DQ Blizzards are better than Wendy’s Frosties, Colbert introduced a new segment called “Questions We’re Pretty Sure Barack Obama Has Never Been Asked Before.” The segment proved to be surprisingly challenging. When Obama was asked “What goes in a toaster?” He responded, “toast,” and received a scolding from Colbert. “Bread goes in the toaster. Toast comes out.” While the President’s head was still spinning, Colbert hit him wit...
