DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Astronaut Sally Ride has served as a role model for many young women as the first American woman in space. That's one of the reasons why she's one of the 16 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
Ride is being honored posthumously - she died last year at the age of 61. The White House in a statement said: Sally Ride stood up for racial and gender equality in the classroom and taught students that there are no limits to what they can accomplish.
GREENE: The 15 other honorees include the late Democratic senator from Hawaii Daniel Inouye. Bayard Rustin also receives the award posthumously. The open gay African-American helped organized the 1963 march on Washington for jobs and freedom. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.