Hometown Hero Denzel Washington Awarded Presidential Medal Of Freedom

MOUNT VERNON, NY — The world knows Denzel Washington as an Academy Award-winning movie star, but those in Mount Vernon have always known the "hometown hero" has worked tirelessly to share his success with those hoping to follow in his footsteps. On Thursday, the rest of the world got a glimpse of the underappreciated side of the entertainer.

President Joe Biden on Thursday presented the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including Mount Vernon native Denzel Washington.

The 17 people receiving honors “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come,” the White House said.

Unfortunately, Washington was unable to attend Thursday's ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the White House. "He feels fine," a representative for the actor told People Magazine.

President Biden said that Washington will receive his medal "when he's able to get here."

The double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer has also been awarded a Tony, three Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. 67-year-old Washington has worked on over 60 films to date. In 2020, the New York Times named him the greatest actor of the 21st century so far.

Born in Mount Vernon in 1954 to a Pentecostal minister and local beautician, Washington attended Pennington-Grimes Elementary School until 1968. After his parents divorced, he was sent to boarding school but eventually came back to the New York area and earned a BA in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University in 1977.

Washington is also known for being a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“In my town in Mount Vernon when I was in kindergarten I remember them building this club and hearing about what was going on in there,” Washington told Forbes in 2018. “At first, it was just a place to go and have some fun. You know, I didn’t realize I was being taught a lesson for my life. I just thought I was going to play some basketball, but I’ve been a member in heart and mind for 58 years now.”

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During a February 2021 surprise visit to the Boys and Girls Club in Mount Vernon, he told the teens “you never see a wagon behind a casket. The Egyptians tried to bury themselves with their wealth, but they got robbed. So the most important thing in life is not making money. The most important thing is giving back."

The Boys and Girls Club of Mount Vernon posted on social media Wednesday, "Congratulations to Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon Alum, and legendary actor and director, Denzel Washington who was selected by President Biden to receive the Presidential Medal Of Freedom for his significant contributions to America's national security, world peace, and cultural development in both the public and private spheres."

The other honorees at the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony included: Simone Biles, Sister Simone Campbell, Julieta García, Gabrielle Giffords, Fred Gray, Steve Jobs (posthumous), Father Alexander Karloutsos, Khizr Khan, Sandra Lindsay, John McCain (posthumous), Diane Nash, Megan Rapinoe, Alan Simpson, Richard Trumka, Vilma Vaught and Raúl Yzaguirre.

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