Civil right activist Bayard Rustin, who organized the 1963 March On Washington, and astronaut Sally Ride,will be among the recipients of this year’s Presidential Medal Of Freedom awards, the highest honor given to any civilian.

Via press release from the White House:

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Executive Order signed by President John F. Kennedy establishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as the first ceremony bestowing the honor on an inaugural class of 31 recipients. Since that time, more than 500 exceptional individuals from all corners of society have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Obama said, “The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives to enriching ours. This year’s honorees have been blessed with extraordinary talent, but what sets them apart is their gift for sharing that talent with the world. It will be my honor to present them with a token of our nation’s gratitude.”

Other recipients this year include Ernie Banks, Ben Bradlee, Daniel Inouye, Daniel Kahneman, Richard Lugar, Loretta Lynn, Mario Molina, Arturo Sandoval, Dean Smith, Gloria Steinem, C.T. Vivian, Patricia Wald, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cinton.

August 28th marks the 50th anniversary of Bayard Rustin’s March On Washington.