A group of House Democrats recently sent an official letter to President Joe Biden, calling for him to exonerate former civil rights leader Marcus Garvey.
Announced in a statement sent to ABC News, the group of lawmakers, led by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), are continuing a decades-long fight to exonerate the civil rights leader.
In 1987, Congressman John Conyers first attempted to get Garvey exonerated, holding official hearings in front of the House Judiciary Committee. In 2004, Congressman Charles Rangel also attempted to draw attention to the injustices against Garvey.
With the latest movement to pardon the civil rights leader, support has already grown as 21 House Democrats have already signed the letter.
Along with Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Reps. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) and Hank Johnson (D-Ga) all joined in on the push to exonerate Garvey.
A presidential pardon for Mr. Garvey would not only correct the historical record, but also shift the narrative at a time when Black history is under attack by far-right state legislatures.
— Yvette D. Clarke (@RepYvetteClarke) May 23, 2023
America must right these wrongs & restore Garvey’s legacy. The time to do it is now. https://t.co/1YsKlHPnME
The letter is looking to exonerate the Pan-African activist of a 1923 conviction who alleged he was guilty of mail fraud related to his Black Star Line shipping business. He was imprisoned in the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta, for almost two years before President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence, and he was deported to Jamaica.
In the years since the case, leaders have highlighted the dishonest circumstances surrounding the case, including an unfair trial and biased judge.
“Exactly 101 years ago, Mr. Garvey was convicted of mail fraud in a case that was marred by prosecutorial and governmental misconduct,” said the congress members in their official letter. “The evidence paints an abundantly clear narrative that the charges against Mr. Garvey were not only fabricated but also targeted to criminalize, discredit, and silence him as a civil rights leader.”
The letter is being addressed to Biden in the wake of the president commuting the sentences of 37 people on federal death row to life sentences without parole.
Those commuted last Monday included those who committed less high-profile offenses, including drug trafficking-related murders and the killings of prison guards.
When announcing his latest decision, President Biden highlighted that while he condemned the murders, he felt the need to act against the death penalty.
“Guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice President, and now President, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level,” said Biden in his statement. “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
