Official announcements from the White House or Department of Justice

Biden Grants Posthumous Pardon to Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey, Four Others on Final Day

Jan 19, 2025, 04:42 PM

On his final full day in office, President Joe Biden issued posthumous pardons to five individuals, including Black nationalist Marcus Garvey, who was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s and influenced Malcolm X and other civil rights leaders. Garvey, who died in 1940, was deported to Jamaica after his conviction. The other recipients of Biden's pardons include Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, convicted of a drug offense in 1994 and served eight years in prison; immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir, convicted of a nonviolent offense in 2001; criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith Pradia, convicted of a drug offense in 1994 and sentenced to 24 years; and gun violence prevention advocate Darryl Chambers, convicted of a drug offense and sentenced to 17 years. Biden also commuted the sentences of two individuals: Michelle West, serving life for a drug conspiracy, and Robin Peoples, sentenced to 111 years for bank robbery. The pardons and commutations reflect Biden's commitment to second chances and redemption, aligning with his record of issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other president in U.S. history.