In a historic move on his final day in office, President Joe Biden granted pardons to late Black activist Marcus Garvey and four others. Garvey, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, was posthumously pardoned for his controversial 1923 conviction for mail fraud.

The decision to pardon Garvey was met with widespread acclaim from civil rights advocates and scholars, who have long argued that his conviction was unjust and racially motivated. Garvey, who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, was a key figure in advocating for Black empowerment and Pan-Africanism in the early 20th century.

President Biden's pardoning of Garvey follows a trend of posthumous pardons for Black historical figures, including boxer Jack Johnson and musician Charlie Parker. The move is seen as a symbolic gesture of reconciliation and acknowledgment of past injustices.

The White House has not commented on the specific reasons for the pardons, but a spokesperson stated that Biden believed that they were necessary in order to right historical wrongs. The pardons were announced alongside a flurry of other executive actions on Biden's final day in office.