Latest news with #MedalofFreedom
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Who is Opal Lee? 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' to skip Walk for Freedom march this year
For the first time since 2016, Opal Lee will remain absent from the Walk for Freedom march this year. The 'Grandmother of Juneteenth' will not be participating in the event due to a recent hospitalization. The 98-year-old has remained a part of the event since it was started in 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. In May, it was reported that Lee was admitted to hospital while she was on her way to receive the International Freedom Conductor Award at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio. Speaking to the Fort Worth Report on June 17, Lee's granddaughter, Dione Sims, said that the retired counselor is now 98 and the family 'really wants to keep her in.' Further, Sims told WFAA that while her grandmother's health prevented her from leading the Walk for Freedom, she was still planning to take part in it. The family has assured that the retired teacher will attend it virtually. Also read: What's open and closed on Juneteenth: Details on stock market, banks, post offices, Costco, Starbucks, Walmart and more Born on October 7, 1926, in Texas' Marshall, Opal Lee is a retired educator and counselor. Her parents relocated their three children to Fort Worth when she was 9. While growing up, she learned about Juneteenth from the annual celebrations in her neighborhood. She finished high school at 16 and later graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Minor in English from Wiley College in Marshall. She returned to university to get a Master's Degree in Educational Counseling and Guidance. According to the National Women's History Museum, her home was destroyed by a mob of around 500 people in 1939 during one such celebration. She decided most of her life to preserve the history of Juneteenth. She came into the spotlight in 2016, when she kickstarted a 1,400-mile trek from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. at the age of 89. This was done to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday. In 2021, then US President Joe Biden officially declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. Last year, Lee was awarded the Medal of Freedom, recognizing her pivotal role in the establishment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday in the US. Juneteenth is being observed on Thursday, June 19, this year. She taught within the Fort Worth Independent School District for a total of 15 years. She is 98 years old.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Delray Beach post office named for Nazi hunter, peace advocate who lived nearby
A hub for sending and receiving messages, the U.S. Post Office in Delray Beach now bears the name of the man whose work prosecuting Nazis led him to a life spreading the word to advance humanity's momentum against hatred and division. Benjamin Berell Ferencz, who died in 2023 at age 103 in Boynton Beach, was at 27 the youngest prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials that immediately followed World War II. He himself witnessed the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps as a young U.S. serviceman. That experience propelled a lifelong dedication to human rights that needs to resonate even more at this moment in history, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said as she unveiled Ferencz's name at the post office at 14280 Military Trail. 'In naming this post office after Ben Ferencz, we not only honor him, we reaffirm the values he stood for: justice, human dignity and the courage to speak out against hate,' said Frankel, who introduced the requisite legislation to make the post office naming happen. 'So may this post office, named effort for Ferencz, be a lasting symbol of those values, a place that reminds us to stand firm against antisemitism and all forms of hatred and division. ➤ Access The Palm Beach Post on the go with the app: Our app offers a personalized experience to your liking. Download our app to personalize your news alerts, swipe and scroll through stories faster, and bookmark them to save and read later. 'That's something we should all commit ourselves to and hopefully, everyone who walks through that door feels the same way,' Frankel added. Dignitaries gathered for the event recalled how Ferencz's short stature — just 5 feet tall — belied his undeniable moral authority and booming voice. Here's a look at his life: The 1943 graduate of Harvard Law School in 2014 received the school's Medal of Freedom. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest honor, in 2022 in recognition of his work at Nuremberg and advocacy for the international rule of law. In addition, Ferencz, who lived for many years at King's Point in Delray Beach, was the last, living Nuremberg prosecutor when Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded him the Governor's Medal of Freedom in 2022. Frankel credited his work with laying the foundation for international law. Former Palm Beach County Commissioner Maria Sachs recalled meeting him and experiencing his outsized impact on those around him. 'When I met him, I thought that he would speak in a halting voice — after all he was 100 years old,' Sachs said. 'No, no, no — he spoke up loud and in a very strong voice that we should always honor the law and not hatred and war and how important that message is today.' Ferencz emigrated from Transylvania as a young boy. His family landed in the Hell's Kitchen district of New York City as they sought to escape rampant antisemitism in their native country. Speaking only Yiddish, he didn't start school until he was 8 years old, according to an obituary Harvard University published. His aptitude was recognized and he was sent to a school for gifted boys, which earned him automatic admission to the City College of New York. After enrolling at Harvard, a leading criminologist urged Ferencz to summarize every book in the Harvard library related to war crimes. The assignment, Ferencz told Harvard, 'probably changed my life.' Shortly after graduating from Harvard, Ferencz enlisted and served in an artillery battalion for three years, playing a role in the invasion of Normandy and ultimately earning five battle stars. As a sergeant in Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army, Ferencz visited a handful of concentration camps shortly after they were liberated. 'The scenes have been well-depicted,' he said in 2016. 'Dead bodies lying around, you can't tell if they're dead or alive, their eyes beg for help. Dysentery, lice, rats, stench. Things that are not only indescribable, but unimaginable.' In 1947 when he argued, as chief prosecutor in one of the 13 Nuremberg trials, for the convictions of 22 former commanders who themselves were charged with murdering more than 1 million Jews and other enemies of the Third Reich in Eastern Europe. Harvard credits him with prosecuting the largest murder trials in history, ultimately convicting all 22 of the accused. With the war crimes trials winding down, Ferencz went to work for a consortium of Jewish charitable groups to help Holocaust survivors regain properties, homes, businesses, art works, Torah scrolls and other Jewish religious items that the Nazis had stolen from them. He also later assisted in negotiations that would lead to compensation to Nazi victims. Ferencz, a father of four, published a two-volume book in 1980 titled, "An International Criminal Court: A Step Toward World Peace." More: How Coco Gauff's grandmother made history in Palm Beach County The establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague was the fulfillment of a longstanding dream, his youngest daughter, Nina Dale, told those assembled at the post office naming. 'He spent the rest of his life fighting against crimes against humanity and trying to institute global peace,' she said. 'He had the notion to create an international criminal court where people who commit crimes against humanity could be prosecuted. Fifty years later, that came to fruition. And so for me, that's the man that I remember, because that's my father. He was not home for dinner, and he was not home for my birthday, but he was a great man.' Ferencz's obituary in Harvard's publication recalled that, at the age of 91 in 2011, Ferencz delivered the closing prosecution speech of a Congolese warlord, the first ever heard at the international court. He repeated a line he used in his opening statement his at a Nazi trial 60 years earlier, saying, 'The case we present is a plea of humanity to law.' He added: 'The hope of humankind is that compassion and compromise may replace the cruel and senseless violence of armed conflicts.' Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at ageggis@ support our journalism. Subscribe today This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray Beach post office named for Nazi prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz
The Irish Sun
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I've known Bono for decades – real reason he doesn't deserve half the ‘ridiculous' grief he gets and new album secrets
TOP DJ Dave Fanning has defended his long-time pal Bono and insisted: 'He does not deserve half of the grief he gets.' The Advertisement 4 RTE DJ Dave Fanning has defended his pal Bono Credit: Bryan Meade 4 Fanning said Bono 'doesn't deserve half of the grief he gets' Credit: SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images) 4 Fans are eagerly awaiting a new U2 album Credit: Getty images - Getty And Dave told The Irish Sun: ' Advertisement 'He gets a lot of grief, which I think it's ridiculous. 'That's my opinion. I know a lot of people love Bono, a lot of people don't. As a humanitarian, I know how many things he has done in his downtime.' Bono, 65, was criticised after accepting the Medal of Freedom from then-US President Speaking to 'And anyone who thinks that I'm not shocked and appalled by what's going on in Gaza and to the children of Gaza . . .' Advertisement Meanwhile, Dave believes the themes of the next U2 album will be similar to the frontman's Apple special The RTE host, who always gets the first play of every new U2 record, believes there will be huge interest in the group's 15th studio album, their first since Dave said: 'Are people going to be interested in this new U2 record? Absolutely, because this is the longest gap between U2 albums we have ever had. Fans all go wild as Lady Gaga collabs with Bono at surprise gig 'I still think that U2 have it in them to do something amazing. Do people want a new U2 album? Bloody right they do.' The DJ, who still plays U2 on his RTE Gold show from 6-8pm each weekday, also thinks the band will be selling out Advertisement Dave added: ' 4 Dave first met U2 when they knocked on the door of Dublin's Big D Radio in the late Seventies
USA Today
04-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Who was Harvey Milk? Navy vessel may be stripped of gay rights leader's name
Hear this story A U.S. Navy oil tanker named after civil rights leader Harvey Milk is reportedly set to be given a new title — another apparent move to strip military diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters on June 3 that the USNS Harvey Milk, which was christened in 2021, will be renamed. An official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity that the directive came from Hegseth's office. In a statement to USA TODAY, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth "is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos." "Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete," the statement said. The Navy did not immediately respond to request for comment. Here's what to know about Milk and the Navy vessel named after him. USNS Harvey Milk Navy to strip gay rights activist Harvey Milk's name from oil tanker Who was Harvey Milk? Harvey Milk became one of the nation's first openly gay elected officials when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. Born on May 22, 1930, Milk enlisted in the Navy in 1951. He resigned four years later after being officially questioned about his sexuality, according to the Harvey Milk Foundation. Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972, where he eventually became involved in politics. After several failed candidacies for roles in local office, Mayor George Moscone appointed Milk to the city's Board of Permit Appeals, making him the first openly gay city commissioner in the United States, according to the Milk Foundation. A year after Milk won election to the city's Board of Supervisors, he and Moscone were assassinated by a disgruntled former city Supervisor. Milk was posthumously recognized for his work advocating for the LGBTQ community. A statue of Milk sits in San Francisco City Hall's rotunda, and a terminal in the city's airport is also named after him. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded him the Medal of Freedom. What is the USNS Harvey Milk? Navy ship is named after gay rights leader In 2016, the Navy announced it would be naming a tanker after Milk as part of the John Lewis-class of oilers — which is named after late congressman Rep. John Lewis. The USNS Harvey Milk, which is identified by hull No. T-AO 206, was christened in 2021. After successfully completing acceptance trails, the ship was delivered to the Navy in 2023. It's unclear when the tanker will be officially renamed. A U.S. official told Reuters it would not be surprising if additional ships in the John Lewis class were renamed, since others also honor civil rights leaders. Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk's nephew and the executive chair of the Harvey Milk Foundation, said in a statement on social media that the organization is "heartbroken" to hear of the possible renaming. "His legacy has stood as a proud and bright light for the men and women who serve in our nation's military - including those who have served on the USNS Harvey Milk - and a reminder that no barriers of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or physical infirmity will restrain their human spirit," the statement said. Defense Department pushes to cut diversity, equity, inclusion programs The potential renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk would mark the Defense Department's latest move to cut diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the military. Hegseth nixed identity month celebrations at the Defense Department, like Black History Month and Pride Month. In March, the department pulled down then scrambled to restore websites on military achievements by veterans like Jackie Robinson to information on the Navajo Code Talkers. At military schools around the world, the department has also pulled books from shelves, barred courses and defunded student clubs. President Donald Trump has also vocally pushed to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
RTÉ News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Bono defends his decision to accept Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden
U2 frontman Bono has spoken out against criticism of his decision to accept the Medal of Freedom from then-US President Joe Biden earlier this year. Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor Show on Saturday morning, he said that he accepted the medal on behalf of those who couldn't. "Being a conscientious objector with somebody else's conscience is quite a stretch," he said. "I've worked with Joe Biden for 25 years. I've worked with him when he was in the Senate on Drop the Debt. I've worked with him on universal access to antiretroviral drugs, on increasing aid flows. This is a man who I have deep respect for and a real relationship with. "There are other aspects to that which are just inaccurate and people just not understanding. These are complex affairs and I should be flattered. I am grateful that people expect such a lot of me, but I've been doing this for 25 years. And anyone who thinks that I'm not shocked and appalled by what's going on in Gaza and to the children of Gaza . . , " The US Presidential Medal of Freedom was formally given to the singer last January. Mr Biden presented the highest American civilian honour to Bono, real name Paul David Hewson, at the White House along with a total of 19 people from across politics, sports, entertainment and other fields. The awards are given for "exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours". Bono added that "competitive empathy" was much more prevalent now than ever. "It's strange, this competitive empathy that's going around. 'I feel this wound more than you,' and 'my emergency is more important than your emergency'. Outrage," he said. "When I was younger, I had a lot of rage. An outrage, in some respects, was enough to write a certain kind of song. But as I got older, I demanded more of myself. "I looked towards outcomes. And so, I became that most boring of all things, a single-issue protagonist fighting with, working with both sides," he added. Having turned 65 two weeks ago, Bono says he is taking a step back from activism. "It might be bewildering, but I was trying not to speak about stuff that I didn't really understand, and even my understanding of development issues has, I would say, decreased," he said. "The governance of it, the in-depth understanding of the subject that you need to have, meetings where you can sit across from lawmakers and really talk in depth, is one that I am not sure I'm capable of whilst being in U2 at the level that that now demands. "I'm also the wrong sex, perhaps. Actually, more importantly, I'm the wrong ethnicity. It would be just Africans doing this for themselves now. "There's an extraordinary woman, Ndidi (Okonkwo Nwuneli) who has taken over the One campaign, and I'm backstage now," he added. On Thursday night in London, U2 became the first ever Irish band to become recipients of the Ivor Novello Academy Fellowship in London. Having published his autobiography, Surrender, in 2022, which then became a one-man stage show, Apple TV+ will air a new film entitled Bono: Stories of Surrender on 30 May. Asked how the rest of the band felt about him singing U2 songs without them during the theatre production and in the film, Bono said, "I dread their memoirs. I don't know. Edge has definitely seen the film. He thought my head looked even bigger on the screen, if that was possible. Larry's more a Western man. "I don't think Larry believes anything I do outside of U2 exists and that's the way it should be. Adam, yeah, he was good but all of this is really the absence of a new U2 album and everybody knows that and it is extraordinary to have Apple pay for this and get my little family opera on record. "But I understand. It's the band who gave me permission to sell my wares in other ways, whether it's activism or telling my story but I thought it would help with them because when you get to a certain level of recognition, inevitably you turn into a bit of a caricature and that doesn't suit U2 either so I wanted to explain to people the ordinariness behind all this extraordinary success that U2's had. "I wanted to let people in and take off the armour." The first time the singer performed his one-man show was at the Olympia theatre in Dublin in late 2022, and asked did he have any first-night nerves, Bono said, "My mother's only remaining sister, Olive, was there so that mattered a lot. "We were having drinks afterwards and only in a country like Ireland would the Taoiseach come up and say, `do you want anything up at the bar, there?'" "I said, `I'll have a pint' and my Aunty Olive said, `G&T, please', and he went around the table and took the orders and I said, `Olive, that's the Taoiseach there - Leo Varadkar 'and she said `oh isn't that great! Will he remember all the orders?' Bono added, "On that first night, I didn't want to blow it; I didn't want to screw it up and of course there is some level of narcissism involved in thinking that people might be interested in your story."
