President Barack Obama awarded the highest civilian honor to 18 people, including Meryl Streep, 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)
Robert Battle, the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, receives a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom 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)
