Khizr Khan receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Biden places on the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Khizr Khan.

No one knew what was about to happen when Khizr Khan was first introduced at the Democratic Convention in 2015. No on knew he would one day receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The 71-year old Pakistani American patriot was one of 17 Americans who received the honor Friday, July 7.

“I was humbled when I was informed that I am the recipient of this highest civilian recognition of this nation,” Khan said in a Daily Progress interview prior to getting his medal. “My life has been a testament to the goodness of this country, to the foundational values of equality, dignity and diversity that are at the foundation of this country.”

As a Gold Medal father who had spoken about patriotism and against the war in Iraq after the loss of his son, he was invited to speak at the 2016 Democratic Convention by the Hillary Clinton campaign. What happened is now a part of political history.

Conventioneers were busy running around lobbying for votes. Khan began his emotion-filled speech and heads turned to the stage. He delivered a short speech that rocked the convention and reverberated across America.

As attention turned to the podium, Khan's voice slightly quivering from nerves, got stronger as he went on.

“Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our their future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy,” Khan said, reaching inside his jacket and began waving the booklet about the Constitution in the air. “In this document, look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of law.’

By now, the whole convention hall was paying attention to Khan, who came to America in 1980 after living in the United Arab Emirates.

“Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending the United States of America – you will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”

Since that seminal moment, he has become a celebrity and advocate and defender of democracy. He founded the Constitution Literacy and National Unity Center and is a prominent advocate for the rule of law and religious freedom . President Biden appointed him to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.

Also receiving this country’s highest civilian honor  are Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and the late U.S. Sen. John McCain. The award is given to those who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.

“The Fourth of July week reminds us what brought us together long ago and still binds us — binds us at our best, what we strive for,” Biden said. “We the people, doing what we can to ensure that the idea of America, the cause of freedom, shines like the sun to light up the future of the world.

“This is America,” he said, gesturing to the stage full of award winners.

“These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith,” the White House said in a statement.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Letter to Tiger Woods: Why accept that medal from Trump?

SCREEN CAPTURE / CNN

Donald Trump presents the Medal of Freedom to golfer Tiger Woods.

Dear Tiger Woods: What moved you to accept the Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump Monday night?

Where have you been the past three years? Wandering among the greens of exclusive country clubs, I'd venture to guess, immune to what's happening in the streets, the courts, schools and government chambers.

We hailed you as a hero and then you fell, but we still backed your long comeback. And when you finally won the Masters again after so many years, we cheered along with your mother and mixed-race children.

Other sports teams dominated by African American athletes such as the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, the Philadelphia Eagles and most of the Boston Patriots and the University of Virginia NCAA basketball champs have all turned down invitations to eat burgers with the current White House occupant.

The Baltimore Sun wrote in an editorial Monday: “Mr. Woods has made his choice, and part of his legacy will be embracing a man who incited bigotry and racism.” ... Trump “regularly demonizes minorities and emboldens those who hate.”

Trump has called white nationalists "good people," insulted NFL players who were protesting the inequality in our society and most recently, snubbed Kyler Murray, the black/Asian No.1 NFL draft pick and instead congratulated the second pick because he was a white Trump supporter, and is trying to institute strict new immigration rules that -- if in place years ago -- would have prevented your mother from immigrating here.

As an -every-weekend golfer, Trump has long been a fan of yours and recently, he became a business partner with you. Your remarkable comeback will certainly enhance several of Trump's golf course and hotels.

Instead, you chose to let Trump have his moment with you because he has several golf courses that you play at. Don't you realize your apparent endorsement of Trump will enrich his resorts and businesses plus (mistakenly, in his mind, at least) enhance his standings with African Americans?

When you first won the Masters in 1997 and you donned the green jacket, you made a bold statement to a sport and a clubhouse that had rules preventing African Americans' memberships. We cheered you for breaking down those racist barriers.

If you had refused the medal, you could have had another chance to make another, even grander statement in behalf of your Asian mother and African American father, your  mixed-race children  and millions of other people who look like you and your family. 

Instead, to our bitter disappointment, you bogeyed.

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Maya Lin receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA awarded Presidential Medals of Freedom to 21 individuals  who have exemplified the best of America.

The majority of the medals, the highest award bestowed to non-military citizens, went to celebrities in sports and the arts, including artist Maya Li.

President Obama and Maya Lin

An artist, Lin is perhaps best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. 

Maya rose to fame when she was chosen as the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., now known as The Wall.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is composed of two walls spanning 246 feet in length that stand as a testament to human sacrifice. Etched upon it are the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who died or remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. It is one of the most poignant memorials in America.

At the time, the Vietnam War was the nation’s longest war and one of the most divisive. America was in search of healing and reconciliation. In 1980, a national design competition was launched. The winner was an unknown Maya Lin, a 21-year-old undergraduate student from Yale University. The design would be “a long, polished, black stone wall, emerging from and receding into the earth.”

After Maya Lin’s design was chosen, outrage ensued. Many were offended by its nontraditional design. Its color, black, was detested for its “sad” and “negative” connotation. It was referred to as a “black gash of shame” and a “degrading ditch.” Many also felt that an Asian-American should not be the designer.

Jim Knotts, CEO of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund released a statement on the President's recognition of Lin:

“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will be forever grateful for Maya’s artistry. Her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was controversial when it was first introduced to the public, but 35 years later, her design has proven to be a remarkable piece of art that has changed the way a nation mourns. We continue to see Vietnam veterans start or continue their healing process when they stand in front of The Wall. And younger generations continue to be awed by the scope of the sacrifice as the walk the long walls and realize every name is a life cut short. They begin to learn what it means to serve our country. The Wall, through it’s simple but brilliant design, helped to heal a generation and our nation. The Wall began a body of work in both art and architecture that will continue to impact our country for generations to come. It is wholly appropriate that we recognize Maya Lin for her contributions with our nation’s highest civilian honor.”

The White House said, “A committed environmentalist, Lin is currently working on a multi-sited artwork/memorial, What is Missing?, bringing awareness to the planet’s loss of habitat and biodiversity.”

"I am so saddened by the stated goals of the incoming administration to dismantle the environmental protections that have made our water and our air and our communities safer and cleaner, and that (President-Elect Donald Trump) threatens to renege on the Paris Climate accord—which would be ... a disaster for us both ecologically and economically," she told NBC News.

The brilliance of Maya Lin's Vietnam Memorial: Visitors see themselves reflected in the black granite wall.