Biden Grants Posthumous Pardon to Black Nationalist Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr., ONH

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Sunday, President Joe Biden posthumously pardoned Marcus Garvey, a Black nationalist leader who inspired figures like Malcolm X and other civil rights activists. Garvey, who was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s, left a lasting legacy despite his controversial conviction. Pardons were also granted to a prominent Virginia lawmaker and advocates for immigrant rights, criminal justice reform, and gun violence prevention.

Supporters of Garvey's pardon, including congressional leaders, argued that his conviction was politically motivated, aiming to suppress his growing influence as a leader promoting racial pride. Following his conviction, Garvey was deported to his native Jamaica, where he continued his work until his death in 1940.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once described Garvey as “the first man, on a mass scale and level,” to instill “a sense of dignity and destiny” in millions of Black people.