Profile in Courage Award

It is given to individuals (often elected officials) who, by acting in accord with their conscience, risked their careers or lives by pursuing a larger vision of the national, state or local interest in opposition to popular opinion or pressure from constituents or other local interests.

It is generally awarded each year around the time of JFK's birthday (May 29) at a ceremony at the Kennedy Library in Boston.

Two recipients, John Lewis (in 2001) and William Winter (in 2008), were designated as honorees for Lifetime Achievement.

The winner is presented with a sterling silver lantern made by Tiffany's which was designed by Edwin Schlossberg.

The awards were accepted by Cho Hyun-dong (South Korea) and Takeo Mori and Kotaro Suzuki (Japan).