Nashville civil rights icons awarded Medal of Freedom
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Hi there! This is Tennessean Planning Director Madalyn Hoerr. Welcome to your Friday Daily Briefing.
Civil rights icons Diane Nash and Fred Gray have been awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Joe Biden.
The Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who made significant contributions in the U.S. or internationally in politics, philanthropy, science, sports, the arts and other arenas. Denzel Washington, Simone Biles, the late-John McCain were also among the 17 recipients Thursday.
In 1959, Nash first arrived in Nashville to attend Fisk University. She led sit-ins at lunch counters, marching to the courthouse plaza to confront the mayor. Nash also coordinated freedom rides when violence threatened participants and, while pregnant, was jailed in Mississippi for teaching minors nonviolence protest tactics.
In December, the landing in front of the historic Metro Courthouse was renamed the "Diane Nash Plaza."
Learn more from reporter Kirsten Fiscus on Nash and Gray's legacies and what Biden said during the ceremony.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville civil rights icons awarded Medal of Freedom
