It has been nearly a century since Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the pioneering leader of the Pan-
African movement and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), was
unjustly convicted on charges that have long been discredited. The recent decision by President
Joe Biden to issue a posthumous pardon for Garvey marks a significant milestone in correcting
one of history’s grievous wrongs. However, while this gesture is commendable, it is not the
ultimate justice that Garvey deserves. Full legal exoneration remains the only fitting resolution
for a man whose vision and activism shaped the global fight for Black empowerment.
