Inspirational Achievement! Rep. James Clyburn Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

WASHINGTON  – Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. James Clyburn was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden on Friday. Clyburn, a South Carolina native, reenergized Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Clyburn, the former House majority whip who has represented South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District since 1993, received the highest civilian honor at a White House ceremony alongside 18 other recipients, including former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State John Kerry, and former Vice President Al Gore.

“Always grounded in faith, family, and service, Jim has guided South Carolina and our country with a steady hand and honest heart for over the last half-century,” Biden said at the start of his speech.

“And I can say this without fear of contradiction: I would not be standing here as president, presenting these prizes, if it were not for Jim. “I mean that sincerely,” Biden continued. “Neither of us would be standing here without (his late wife) Emily Clyburn, a woman of immense character whom we all mourn. We are a great nation because of folks like Jim and Emily Clyburn, as well as today’s awardees. All my fellow Americans, Jim is the finest.”

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Biden pumped his fists when Clyburn’s name was mentioned. Before placing the medal around Clyburn’s neck, Biden wrapped his arm around him.

This year’s honorees included Michael Bloomberg, a former New York mayor and Biden’s 2020 Democratic primary challenger, journalist Phil Donahue, Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky, actress Michelle Yeoh, and Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in one of the country’s most high-profile anti-gay hate crimes.

“Words cannot reflect my tremendous pride and appreciation for earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This distinction is not only a monument to my work, but also to the innumerable people who have helped me along the way; the giants who fought beside me for justice, equity, and advancement; and the love of my family,” Clyburn, 83, said in a statement.

“I am deeply thankful to President Biden for this wonderful distinction, and I take the responsibility that comes with it very seriously. While it acknowledges one’s accomplishments, it also serves as a timely warning of the challenges that lay ahead. It emphasizes every one of us’ responsibility to further the founding fathers’ aim of a more perfect union.’ “I accept this award with deep humility and the promise to uphold this vision,” he added.

Clyburn spent most of his career in Congress as a leader, quickly rising to chair the Congressional Black Caucus and remaining in Democratic Caucus leadership for the past two decades. He has long been the third-highest-ranking House Democrat, trailing only Pelosi and Maryland’s Steny Hoyer, albeit his title changed depending on whether the party controlled a House majority.

Clyburn was elected the party’s vice chair in 2003 and then served as House majority whip from 2007 to 2010 and 2019 to 2022. During that time, Clyburn also presided over the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Between his tenures as Democratic whip, Clyburn served as assistant Democratic leader from 2011 to 2018 and again in 2023 before stepping down in March. His endorsement of Biden in the 2020 South Carolina primary is recognized as providing a significant boost to Biden’s presidential campaign, allowing him to secure the nomination and eventually defeat then-President Donald Trump.

Clyburn highlights his work in Congress by directing resources to places enduring persistent poverty, fighting for federal loans for rural energy savings initiatives, and boosting broadband internet access as part of the 2021 infrastructure package.

According to States Newsroom’s assessment of the South Carolina delegation’s 2022 financial reports, Clyburn revealed much fewer assets than his congressional colleagues, the majority of whom claimed millions.

Clyburn’s district encompasses much of central and southwestern South Carolina, including Charleston and the outskirts of Columbia. Before his election to Congress, Clyburn worked as a teacher and a state government officer. He was born in Sumter, South Carolina, in 1940, to a clergyman and a beauty shop owner.

His biography states that he met his late wife, Emily, a fellow student activist, in jail in Orangeburg, South Carolina, in 1960. They had three daughters, four grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.