President Obama Awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to seventeen recipients in the East Room of the White House on November 24, 2015. The Presidential Medal of Freedom (which is the nation's highest civilian honor) went to a celebrated list of Americans for their accomplishments in public service, entertainment and sports. They included actress Barbra Streisand, violinist Itzhak Perlman, singer James Taylor and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. President Obama stated: "Steven's films are marked, most importantly, by a faith in our common humanity. The same faith in humanity that led him to create the Shoah foundation, and lend a voice to survivors of genocide around the world. His story has shaped America's stories, and his values have shaped our world." Obama spoke about medal recipient, baseball great Willie Mays, for his own success. "It's because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president." Singer James Taylor in addition was awarded the metal. Gloria Estefan, Grammy Award-winning Cuban-American singer, and her husband Emilio Estefan, a producer and songwriter.