Former President or Ireland Mary Robinson, center, congratulates Sidney Poitier, left, after he received the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House August 12, 2009. Fellow recipients looking on are Archbishop Desmond Tutu, right, and back row, left to right are; Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Chita Rivera, Dr. Janet Davison Rowley, and Muhammad Yunus. The medal is the country’s highest civilian honor. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
