TEARS WITH THE PRESIDENT Ellen DeGeneres listened quietly as President Barack Obama spoke of her courage She listened as Obama praised her ability to make people laugh about something rather than laughing at someone She listened as he told the White House audience how DeGeneres always reminded people to be nice to one another Then when Obama placed the Presidential Medal of Freedom around her neck she cried Ellen DeGeneres received the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in a special ceremony in the East Room of the White House 5
THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest non-military honor in the United States The award recognizes people for their contributions to culture the nation and the world DeGeneres shared the 2016 stage with several notable Medal of Freedom recipients They included actors Tom Hanks and Robert DeNiro musician Bruce Springsteen athletes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan and philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates DeGeneres was one of 21 Americans honored with the Medal of Freedom in November 2016 The comedian has spent a lifetime making people laugh She has worked to create an equal and more loving world for humans and animals She has received many honors and awards for her work in television movies and stand-up comedy DeGeneres was introduced to young audiences as the voice of Dory in the animated movies Finding Nemo and Finding Dory Dory a fish reminded audiences of the power of kindness and of never giving up 6
The role of Dory a forgetful but lovable fish was written with DeGeneres in mind DeGeneres earned the Medal of Freedom for her influence on society The host of the awards ceremony summed it up well He said DeGeneres taught us that each of us can make the world a more fun open and loving place All we have to do is just keep swimming 7
