President Barack Obama grins after awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to actress Meryl Streep. Obama awarded the highest civilian honor to 18 people, including Stevie Wonder, Tom Brokaw, Alvin Ailey and Ethel Kennedy during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on November 24, 2014 in Washington, DC. The Medal of Freedom is the country's highest civilian honor. The first African-American U.S. president also gave medals to the families of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who were killed in Mississippi in 1964. (Photo by Jeff Malet)
Tom Brokaw wears his Presidential Medal of Freedom which he just received from President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on November 24, 2014 in Washington, DC. The Medal of Freedom is the country's highest civilian honor. Tom Brokaw is one of America’s most trusted and respected journalists. Mr. Brokaw served as anchor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004, and is currently a Special Correspondent for NBC News. For decades, Mr. Brokaw has reached millions of Americans in living rooms across the country to provide depth and analysis to historic moments as they unfold, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the terrorist attacks of 9-11. His reporting has been recognized by the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, eleven Emmys, and two Peabody awards. Mr. Brokaw previously served as anchor of NBC’s Today, and following the death of his close friend Tim Russert, Mr. Brokaw took over Meet the Press during the 2008 campaign season. He has written five books including The Greatest Generation, a title that gave name to those who served in World War II at home and abroad. (Photo by Jeff Malet)
Robert Battle, the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, talks to reporters after receiving a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom for Alvin Ailey from President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on November 24, 2014 in Washington, DC. The Medal of Freedom is the country's highest civilian honor. Ailey was a choreographer, dancer, and the founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which is renowned for its inspiring performances in 71 countries on 6 continents since 1958. Ailey’s work was groundbreaking in its exploration of the African American experience and the enrichment of the modern dance tradition, including his beloved American masterpiece Revelations. The Ailey organization, based in New York City, carries on his pioneering legacy with performances, training, educational, and community programs for people of all backgrounds. (Photo by Jeff Malet)
