Marcus Garvey, Trini-born activist Ragbir among five pardoned by Biden

On January 19, his last day in office, US President Joe Biden has granted five pardons, including one to Trinidad-born immigrant-rights activist Ravidath “Ravi” Ragbir and another posthumously to Jamaican political activist Marcus Mosiah Garvey, who died in 1940.

A media statement from the White House on January 19, titled Statement from President Joe Biden on Clemency Actions, said Biden was exercising his clemency power to pardon the five.

In the US, clemency refers to the power of a government official, such as the President, to grant relief from a criminal conviction. It can take various forms, such as pardon, commutation and amnesty.

The other recipients are Darryl Chambers, Don Leonard Scott Jr and Kemba Smith Pradia.

Biden also commuted the sentences of two other people, Robin Peoples and Michelle West, adding that they had demonstrated remorse, rehabilitation and redemption.

The statement said these clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities.

The statement added that Ragbir, of Brooklyn, New York, is a well-known advocate for immigrant and faith communities and was previously convicted of a non-violent offence in 2001.

He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

“Since his release, Mr Ragbir has advocated for vulnerable immigrant communities and families in New York and New Jersey. Previously, he served as the executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition, an interfaith network of congregations, organisations, and individuals that support immigrant communities,” the statement said.

“He has received numerous awards, including from the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.”

It added that advocates, religious organisations and lawmakers commend his efforts to promote justice and human dignity.

The statement described Garvey (1887-1940) as a renowned civil-rights and human-rights leader who was convicted of mail fraud in 1923 and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

“President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence in 1927. Notably, Mr Garvey created the Black Star Line, the first black-owned shipping line and method of international travel, and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which celebrated African history and culture,” the statement said.

It quoted the late renowned US activist and political philosopher Dr Martin Luther King Jr as describing Garvey as “the first man of colour in the history of the US to lead and develop a mass movement.”

The statement added, “Advocates and lawmakers praise his global advocacy and impact and highlight the injustice underlying his criminal conviction.”

Biden granted the pardons and commutations the day before president-elect Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated.

The inauguration is set for January 20 in Washington, DC.