{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/2022/7/rep-sewell-celebrates-white-house-announces-president-biden-will-award", "Rep. Sewell Celebrates as White House Announces President Biden will Award Attorney Fred Gray the Presidential Medal of Freedom", "2022-07-01", "2022", "2022-07", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri A. Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", "sewell", "https://sewell.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) celebrated the White House\u2019s announcement that President Biden will award Attorney Fred Gray Sr. the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation\u2019s highest civilian honor. A native of Alabama\u2019s 7th Congressional District, Gray successfully litigated a number of groundbreaking civil rights cases which led to the desegregation of public buses and the integration of the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and Alabama\u2019s public schools, among many other distinguished accomplishments. For over a year, Sewell has been working to secure the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Attorney Gray.\n\n\u201cWords cannot describe my excitement as we learn that President Biden will award Attorney Fred Gray Sr. the Presidential Medal of Freedom!\u201d celebrated Sewell. \u201cFrom the very beginning, I\u2019ve known that there is no one more deserving of our nation\u2019s highest civilian honor than Attorney Gray whose trailblazing work helped end segregation and advance a more equitable future. Attorney Gray is one of the most consequential civil rights lawyers of our time, having represented Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and the Foot Soldiers.\n\n\u201cI among others have fought hard to ensure that Attorney Gray receives rightful recognition for his groundbreaking contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, and I am overjoyed that President Biden will be giving him his flowers as he lives,\u201d continued Sewell. \u201cCongratulations Attorney Gray and may your legacy of service and sacrifice continue to be a part of our nation\u2019s story for generations to come!\u201d\n\n\u201cI want to thank President Joseph R. Biden for his decision to award me the Presidential Medal of Freedom, indeed a high honor for which I am most appreciative,\u201d said Attorney Fred Gray Sr.\u201cThank you, Congresswoman Sewell for nominating me for this award. Thanks to many persons from all walks of life who sent communication to the President requesting that he bestow this honor.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis award means a great deal to me, an African American civil rights lawyer who was born in the ghettos of Montgomery, Alabama,\u201d continued Gray. \u201cIt speaks volumes to Civil Rights workers who have devoted their talents and resources toward improving the quality of life of Americans in this country; and it speaks directly to African Americans in general. When I filed the various civil rights cases from 1955 to date, I was concerned about African Americans receiving the same constitutional rights as all other Americans. We have made substantial progress but the struggle for the elimination of racism and for equal justice continues. I hope this award will encourage other Americans to do what they can to complete the task so that all American citizens will be treated the same, equally and fairly, in accordance with the Constitution.\u201d\n\nFor over a year, Rep. Sewell has led efforts to secure the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Attorney Gray. In February 2021, Sewell sent a letter to President Biden requesting that he award Gray the nation\u2019s highest civilian honor. She has since transmitted numerous endorsements and letters of support from key organizations including the Alabama Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and others. Sewell also helped secure key endorsements from her colleagues including Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty and House Majority Whip James Clyburn who have communicated their support for Gray\u2019s candidacy via their own letters and calls to the White House. Last December, Sewell celebrated Gray\u2019s 91st birthday on the House Floor and once again urged President Biden to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:25Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/2022/7/rep-sewell-celebrates-white-house-announces-president-biden-will-award"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.053566811606288, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}