Slain Pelham Civil Rights Activist Gets Medal Of Freedom

PELHAM, N.Y. – Former Pelham and New York City resident Michael Schwerner, who was murdered in 1964 fighting for civil rights, recently received a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Former Pelham and New York City resident Michael Schwerner, who was murdered in 1964 fighting for civil rights, recently received a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Photo Credit: *University of Missouri - Kansas City.*

by Stephanie Mojica

11/25/2014 10:30 a.m.

Schwerner, along with fellow civil rights activists James Chaney and Andy Goodman, was murdered in Mississippi at the orders of the Ku Klux Klan.

President Barack Obama honored the trio, along with 16 other people who made various contributions to society, during a ceremony at the White House on Monday, Nov. 24.

Stevie Wonder, Meryl Streep, Sally Ride and Marlo Thomas were also among those honored this year with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“From activists who fought for change to artists who explored the furthest reaches of our imagination; from scientists who kept America on the cutting edge to public servants who help write new chapters in our American story, these citizens have made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world,” Obama said in a press release.

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