The National Constitution Center honored America’s storyteller, Ken Burns, with the 36th annual Liberty Medal in a ceremony held on Sept. 24, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Burns was awarded the medal for illuminating the nation’s greatest triumphs and tragedies and inspiring all of us to learn about the principles at the heart of the American idea. The ceremony featured a conversation between Burns, and National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen on Burns’ upcoming documentary The American Revolution, which illuminates the ideals of liberty, equality, and democracy at the heart of the American idea.
“I could not be more humbled for the extraordinary recognition that you bestow on me tonight. The Liberty Medal recognizes that the desire for liberty, for freedom, is a universal human trait that requires our constant attention against the perpetual threats that assault these virtues,” Burns told an event audience.
“The National Constitution Center is a place but more importantly an idea too – the essential idea that we can improve our democracy by studying our past, our founding, the women and men of all backgrounds who gave birth to this complicated and glorious republic.”
"A central lesson of all of his films is that unless all citizens take the time to learn about history, we risk repeating its errors and losing our liberties to dictators or the mob," said Rosen, in his opening remarks about Burns. "In telling the story of America through the personal stories of those who have struggled to realize the America Idea, he emphasizes the complexity of the daily quest for personal and political self-government."
For nearly half a century, Ken Burns has been a pioneering force in American documentary filmmaking. He has directed and produced some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The Civil War; Baseball; Jazz; The War; The National Parks: America’s Best Idea; Prohibition; The Roosevelts: An Intimate History; The Vietnam War; Country Music; The U.S. and the Holocaust; and, most recently, The American Buffalo.
His films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including 17 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and a member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame. His upcoming projects include Leonardo da Vinci, airing November 2024, and The American Revolution, which will premiere in fall 2025.
Established in Philadelphia in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, the Liberty Medal was first administered by the National Constitution Center in 2006, honoring men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.
The Liberty Medal’s roster of recipients includes many of the men, women, and organizations that have shaped and guided the world through the past three decades, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O’Connor, Kofi Annan, Malala Yousafzai, and Colin Powell. Capturing the attention of millions every year, the Liberty Medal is a tribute to citizenship and America’s constitutional ideals.
For more about the event, go to constitutioncenter.org/liberty-medal
