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Apple CEO Tim Cook to be awarded Free Expression Award

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has been announced as the recipient of the 2017 Free Expression Award in the Free Speech category given out by Washington D.C. based public charity the Newseum.

Cook was highlighted for his leadership in creating technology that profoundly impacts our lives. But not only that, the Newseum recognized the public stand he’s taken on major societal issues, including racial equality (we can point to his recent memo to Apple employees after last week’s immigration-related Executive Order,) privacy, protecting the environment (Greenpeace recently highlighted Apple as greenest tech company,) access to education, and LGBT rights.

The Newseum promotes and defends free expression via the five freedoms of the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.

In addition to Cook, U.S. Rep. John Lewis will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award; Executive Director of Becket Law Kristina Arriaga de Bucholz will receive the Religious Freedom Award; ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent and “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Co-anchor Martha Raddatz will receive the Free Press Award; and Playboy Founder and Editor-in-Chief Hugh Hefner and Hatch Beauty Chairman Christie Hefner will jointly receive the Arts and Entertainment Award.

For more information on Newseum and the awards visit newseum.org.

The award isn’t the first Cook’s received in his tenure as Apple CEO, in 2015 he won a Human Rights Campaign award.