This week, President Obama conferred America's highest civilian honor to 16 examples of unshakable human spirit. The 16 recipients were honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony in the White House on Wednesday.The 16 honorees include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, screen legend Sidney Poitier, former Irish president Mary Robinson, British scientist Stephen Hawking and Bangladeshi economist and Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus.The President also presented medals to breast cancer crusader Nancy Goodman Brinker, medical campaigner Pedro Jose Greer Jr, tennis legend Billie Jean King, civil rights leader Reverend Joseph Lowery, native American tribal chief Joseph Medicine Crow, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, actress Chita Rivera, and cancer researcher Dr. Janet Davison Rowley.
Former Republican congressman, football quarterback and vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp and gay rights campaigner Harvey Milk were all awarded posthumous medals as well.