A coalition of 21 House Democrats, led by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, urged President Joe Biden to exonerate Marcus Garvey, an iconic civil rights leader. Their plea follows Biden’s recent commutation of 37 federal death row sentences. Clarke and other lawmakers emphasized that exonerating Garvey would “honor his work for the Black community, remove the shadow of an unjust conviction, and further this administration's promise to advance racial justice.”
Garvey, a Jamaican-born Pan-Africanist and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), championed Black economic independence and unity. He also established the Black Star Line, one of the first Black-owned shipping companies, aiming to connect Black businesses and create a pathway for African descendants to return to Africa. The UNIA, created to confront racial inequality, promoted self-determination during the oppressive Jim Crow era and colonialism. Garvey’s Negro World Newspaper achieved a circulation of 200,000, spreading messages of empowerment globally.
Convicted of mail fraud in 1923, Garvey faced what lawmakers described as a trial plagued by “prosecutorial and governmental misconduct.” They argued the charges were “fabricated to criminalize, discredit, and silence him as a civil rights leader.” President Calvin Coolidge pardoned Garvey after two years in prison, but he was deported to Jamaica and never returned to the U.S.
Despite Garvey’s legacy, his advocacy for racial separation drew criticism. He controversially viewed segregationist groups like the Ku Klux Klan as less hypocritical than other white organizations. “I regard the Klan...as better friends of the race than all other groups of hypocritical whites,” he stated, sparking outrage from contemporaries like W.E.B. Du Bois, who called him “the most dangerous enemy of the Negro race.”
The FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, pursued Garvey’s prosecution, targeting his Black Star Line enterprise. Lawmakers now argue that clearing his name would correct a historical injustice. “As we approach the conclusion of your administration, this moment provides a chance to leave an indelible mark on history,” their letter concluded.
The White House and FBI declined to comment.
Link: ABCNews
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