Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg Among Medal of Freedom Honorees

Johnson, the NASA mathematician, broke barriers of gender and race as she ascended to a position tracing the paths for early space flights, Obama said.

Mays, 84, one of the first black players in Major League Baseball and considered among the game’s all-time greats in a career spent mostly with the NY and San Francisco Giants, was among 17 people given the highest US civilian honor.

Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Gloria Estefan were among the honorees awarded the presidential medal of freedom at the White House on Tuesday.

The politicians getting the consideration are Democrats: Sen.

Mikulski was responsible for the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was the first law President Obama signed after he was elected into office.

President Obama will give the Medal of Freedom to Katherine, Willie, Babs and fourteen others at the White House on November 24.

Her body of work includes extraordinary singing, acting, directing, producing, songwriting, and she is one of the few performers to receive an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony.

“I want Hillary Clinton to be president”, the performer said. They’re American folk heroes, contributors to society who went beyond the superlatives of their industry to not only become something more, but also to inspire others to do the same. “His stories have shaped America’s story, and his values have shaped our world”.

The legendary entertainer has now crowded her mantle even further with the most prestigious award in all the land – the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In a statement, Congressman John Sarbanes said, “As the longest-serving female member of the U.S. Senate, Senator Mikulski has not only been a staunch advocate for Marylanders but also a champion for working families across the country”. Posthumous honors to baseball coach Yogi Berra, congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Native American advocate Billy Frank Jr., and civil rights lawyer Minoru Yasui. “They represent what’s best in us”.