Dear Editor,

On Monday, January 20, 2025, both leading daily print media houses in Jamaica ran stories about the United States President Joe Biden’s decision to grant a posthumous pardon to Jamaica’s first National Hero Marcus Garvey.

Other significant national leaders, ministers, and government officials also responded by issuing statements indicating some level of approval and acceptance of this decision. There have also been similar responses on many current affair programmes on radio and television programmes as well as from people in academia and civil society, they all seem to welcome and embrace this move by the 46th president.

However, I am not impressed, neither do I approve or accept. In fact, I am disappointed and aggrieved by this decision. For context, firstly, let us ask ourselves what is a federal pardon in the United States? According to article II, section II of the Constitution of the United States, the president has the “power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States”. In other words, it is like a forgiveness that is given in recognition of a convicted criminal’s acceptance of responsibility or good behaviour over time after serving his/her punishment.

Secondly, who are the other people who have received such a pardon from Biden as he’s about to demit office? It’s quite a long list. In fact, Biden has granted 8,064 pardons; the most on record. He has even pardoned some people in anticipation of future convictions, such as his own son, Hunter Biden, as well as Anthony Fauci and Mark Milley. Biden has used his constitutionally given power to pardon or commute the sentences of death row inmates, mass murderers, illicit drugs and gun dealers, as well as people convicted of bribery and money laundering.

Garvey is one of the most influential human rights leaders and pan-Africanists in history. He was way ahead of his time and his ideologies and philosophies are still relevant today. He’s one of the greatest human beings to have walked this Earth. He advocated for economic and social progress of a race that has been institutionally oppressed, denied, and derided. Garvey taught us that we should be proud of ourselves, we should love ourselves, and we should never consider ourselves to be inferior to anyone.

Many of the maladies and stereotypes that continue to negatively keep down and hold back the black race can be erased if Garvey’s teachings are embraced by African people all over the world.

Jade Fray

Yallahs, St Thomas

jadefray@yahoo.com