President Joe Biden granted pardons to five individuals, including the late civil rights leader Marcus Garvey, and commuted the sentences of two others on his last day in office.
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a renowned civil rights leader, was convicted of mail fraud in 1923 and sentenced to five years in prison.
His sentence was later reduced by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927.
Garvey’s legacy is profound, influencing iconic leaders such as Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela. He is credited with organizing the first mass movement among African Americans, and his impact on the civil rights movement is immeasurable.
Part of Garvey’s remarkable achievements included the establishment of the Black Star Line shipping company and the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which honors African history and culture.
Martin Luther King Jr. aptly described Garvey as “the first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement”.
In addition to Garvey, President Biden pardoned four other individuals, including:
Darryl Chambers, a gun violence prevention advocate convicted of a non-violent drug offense
Ravidath “Ravi” Ragbir, an immigration advocate convicted of a non-violent offense in 2001
Don Scott, previously convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994 and sentenced to 10 years in prison
Kemba Smith Pradia, a criminal justice advocate previously convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994 and sentenced to 24 years in prison
Ravidath “Ravi” Ragbir, an immigration advocate convicted of a non-violent offense in 2001
Don Scott, previously convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994 and sentenced to 10 years in prison
Kemba Smith Pradia, a criminal justice advocate previously convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994 and sentenced to 24 years in prison
President Biden also commuted the sentences of two individuals, Robin Peoples and Michelle West, who demonstrated remarkable rehabilitation despite being sentenced in the 1990s.
