Biden pardons activist Marcus Garvey and 4 others

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In his final day of office, President Joe Biden has pardoned activist Marcus Garvey, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, Kemba Smith Pradia, and two others.

Garvey was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott was convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 1994, and Kemba Smith Pradia was convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994.

Two others also received pardons, including advocates for immigrant rights and gun violence prevention.

“As President, I have used my clemency power to make that promise a reality by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other President in U.S. history,” Biden said in a statement. “These clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities.”

About Marcus Garvey’s pardon

The posthumous pardon of Marcus Garvey comes after a group of 21 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter urging Biden to grant clemency to Garvey.

Garvey is a celebrated activist who was the first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement.

He created the Black Star Line, the first Black-owned shipping and travel line, and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association.

Don Scott pardoned

Photo Credit: Jpagan2, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Don Scott is the first Virginia House of Delegates speaker who served seven years in prison following his federal drug conviction.

Since his release, Scott became a lawyer, got elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and became the first Black speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2024.

Kemba Smith Pradia pardoned

Kemba Smith Pradia, a Richmond, Virginia native and criminal justice and prison reform activist, was convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994 and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Smith Pradia’s sentence was commuted by then-President Bill Clinton in 2000.

Since her sentence was commuted, Smith Pradia became an advocate for issues for criminal justice, domestic violence, women’s empowerment and racial equality and justice through her nonprofit organization.

Her story has also been turned into a film titled “KEMBA,” which is available to watch on BET+.

Two others paradoned

In addition to Garvey, Scott, and Smith Pradia, President Biden pardoned immigrant right activist Ravi Ragbir and gun violence prevention advocate Darryl Chambers. All were convicted of nonviolent offenses.