On Sunday, President Joe Biden posthumously pardoned Marcus Garvey, the influential Black nationalist who inspired leaders like Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Garvey was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s and deported to his birthplace of Jamaica following his imprisonment.
Advocates and congressional leaders argued that his conviction was politically motivated to stifle his growing influence as a champion of racial pride.
King once described Garvey as the first leader “on a mass scale” to instill dignity and purpose in millions of Black Americans. Garvey passed away in 1940, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape civil rights movements worldwide.
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In addition to Garvey, Biden granted clemency to individuals advocating for immigrant rights, criminal justice reform, and gun violence prevention. Among those pardoned, according to AP’s report, was Don Scott, the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, who overcame a 1994 drug conviction to become the state’s first Black House speaker. Scott expressed gratitude for the pardon, calling it a testament to the power of redemption.
Biden also pardoned immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir, who faced deportation to Trinidad and Tobago after a nonviolent offense in 2001, and Kemba Smith Pradia, whose 24-year drug sentence was commuted by President Clinton in 2000. Pradia is now a prominent voice for prison reform.
Additionally, Darryl Chambers, a Delaware-based gun violence prevention advocate, received a pardon for a prior drug conviction. Chambers has since dedicated his life to researching and addressing gun violence.
The president commuted the sentences of two others:
Michelle West, who was serving life for a drug conspiracy in the 1990s. Her daughter, Miquelle West, shared an emotional statement, recalling how her mother’s imprisonment shaped her life. “Today, after more than 30 years, the clouds have parted,” she said.
Robin Peoples, who was sentenced to 111 years for bank robberies in the late 1990s. Under current laws, the White House noted, Peoples would have faced significantly shorter sentences.
Biden framed these clemency actions as part of America’s “sacred covenant,” emphasizing the nation’s commitment to forgiveness and second chances.
As his term ends, Biden has set a record for individual pardons and commutations, including commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses and reducing the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment.
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