President Barack Obama on Monday named Patsy Mink one of 19 people to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The medal is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Born and raised on Maui, Mink became the first woman of color elected to Congress and served 12 terms. She became the first Japanese-American female attorney in Hawaii and served in the Hawaii territorial and state legislatures beginning in 1956.
She is best known for co-authoring and championing Title IX in 1972, which provided gender equity in education.
"Those of us who supported the request for Patsy to be considered for the Presidential Medal of Freedom are deeply appreciative of President Obama’s recognition of her," said Gov. Neil Abercrombie. "Admired and respected personally, she will now take her rightful place in the history of our nation as one of the greatest legislators."
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said, "All of Hawaii is deeply proud that Patsy Mink has been named to posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As a daughter of the islands, she fought every day of her life to make real the possibilities of equal opportunity for all and the rights of minorities and women. Her remarkable achievements were hard earned — born of her unwavering resolve and the values she learned living in Hawaii. We know that Patsy would share this award with all of us and especially with the countless women who steadfastly carried on with the legacy and the spirit of Patsy Mink."
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called Mink one of Hawaii’s great leaders and a true American trailblazer.
"Congresswoman Patsy Mink broke down long-standing barriers to create equal access to opportunities for women and girls, and courageously defied those who told her she couldn’t succeed simply because she was a woman," she said. "In the 1940s she was denied entrance to over a dozen medical schools for being a woman, but went on to attend law school and committed her entire life to changing the status quo. Many women and girls, and countless others who have benefited from her unwavering fight for equality, owe a debt of gratitude to Hawaii’s Patsy Mink. As a testament to the importance of her hallmark Title IX legislation, her legacy lives on in the millions of girls who today are guaranteed equal opportunities in education."
Meryl Streep, Stevie Wonder and Tom Brokaw are among the 19 to be presented the awards at the White House on Nov. 24.
