In one of his last presidential acts, Joe Biden posthumously pardoned Marcus Garvey, the influential Black nationalist leader whose work inspired civil rights icons such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Garvey, who was convicted of mail fraud in 1923, is now vindicated more than a century after his politically charged trial, PIX 11 reported.
Garvey, a Jamaican immigrant, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Harlem after World War I. The organization championed Black pride, economic independence, and the idea of a return to Africa for people of African descent. He famously coined the phrase “Black is beautiful” and operated the Black Star Line, a shipping company aimed at facilitating migration to Africa. Despite its ambitious goals, the enterprise failed, and federal authorities convicted Garvey on mail fraud charges. Many historians and advocates argue the conviction was an attempt to suppress his growing influence.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said of Garvey, “He was the first man, on a mass scale and level” to give millions of Black people “a sense of dignity and destiny,” CNBC reported. Yet Garvey’s contributions have often been overshadowed by the stigma of his conviction. Biden’s pardon seeks to correct this injustice and acknowledges Garvey’s lasting impact on civil rights movements worldwide.
The announcement of Garvey’s pardon comes as Biden also granted clemency to four living individuals and commuted two sentences. Among those pardoned were Don Scott, Virginia’s first Black speaker of the House of Delegates, and immigrant rights advocate Ravi Ragbir. Biden also commuted the sentences of individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.
In Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park, named in the leader’s honor, locals expressed support for the pardon. Ebony Banks Turner, visiting the park, called the decision long overdue. “It should’ve happened years ago,” she said. Others noted the importance of preserving Garvey’s legacy and ensuring future generations understand his contributions to Black empowerment, AP reported.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, whose Brooklyn district includes several locations bearing Garvey’s name, hailed Biden’s action as a crucial step in solidifying Garvey’s rightful place in history. She emphasized Garvey’s role as a global leader who mobilized tens of thousands in his fight for racial justice and economic empowerment.
