The family of civil rights icon Marcus Garvey is urging the Biden administration to grant a posthumous pardon to Garvey, who was once hailed by Martin Luther King Jr. as "the first on a mass scale and level to... make the Negro feel he was somebody." Garvey, born in Jamaica, led one of the earliest Black civil rights movements in the Americas. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which addressed racial inequality, and launched the *Negro World* newspaper.
In 1919, he established the Black Star Line, one of the first Black-owned shipping companies, to enhance African American entrepreneurship. However, in 1922, Garvey was convicted of mail fraud related to the company's promotional activities. Though his sentence was commuted by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923, Garvey was deported to Jamaica in 1927 and passed away in London in 1940 at age 52.
Julius Garvey, Marcus’s 91-year-old son, emphasized the contrast between the pardoning of Hunter Biden for tax evasion and his father’s continued lack of exoneration. "If you can pardon your son, who admitted to wrongdoing, why can't you pardon someone who impacted millions worldwide?" Julius Garvey said.
Marcus Garvey's granddaughter, Nzinga Garvey, has outlined five initiatives to support the effort for his grandfather’s exoneration, focusing on themes of universal justice, wrongful convictions, family and community impact, criminal justice reform, and Garvey's vision for unity and empowerment.
Despite decades of efforts, including unsuccessful petitions during the Obama administration, calls for a pardon and exoneration continue. In December 2024, New York Representative Yvette Clarke, along with other lawmakers, urged President Biden to clear Garvey’s name, arguing that this would fulfill the administration's commitment to racial justice. Clarke, who has advocated for Garvey’s exoneration since entering Congress in 2007, stressed that this issue transcends race and aligns with broader efforts to correct racial disparities in the justice system.
The case is viewed by some as emblematic of wrongful convictions, particularly those that disproportionately affect Black Americans. Anthony Pierce, a lawyer who has worked pro bono for the Garvey family, echoed this sentiment, noting that the conviction was rooted in falsehoods and a desire to undermine Garvey's efforts for Black empowerment. "Marcus Garvey is most deserving of a pardon," Pierce stated, citing his long-standing advocacy for Garvey’s exoneration.
Historian Justin Hansford, who wrote *Jailing a Rainbow: The Unjust Trial and Conviction of Marcus Garvey*, explained that the fraud charges stemmed from Garvey’s efforts to build a successful shipping company, with government officials like J. Edgar Hoover viewing Garvey's radical activism with suspicion. Hansford also linked Garvey’s conviction to his premature death, attributing it to the emotional toll of being unjustly branded a fraud.
Julius Garvey, reflecting on his father’s legacy, emphasized that clearing Marcus Garvey’s name is crucial for the African diaspora's identity and place in the world. Despite progress in racial relations, he noted that there is still much work to be done. "These things take time," he said, urging continued efforts for justice.
The call for Garvey's posthumous pardon is not only a family matter but also a significant step in addressing historical wrongs that have deeply impacted Black communities globally.
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