KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Mayor of Kingston, Andrew Swaby, has thanked former United States president Joe Biden for pardoning Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first national hero and former councillor at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

“The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation and the municipality as a whole welcomes the news of president Biden pardoning our first national hero but not only our national hero but someone who had walked the halls of the KSAMC and he was elected in this council years ago and just last year we had honoured him naming the chamber the Marcus Garvey chamber,” Swaby said.

“We would love to see a total exoneration of Marcus Garvey, but we are appreciative of the small step that has been made and it all does well for us to encourage Jamaica and the Jamaican government to continue to push for the total exoneration of Marcus Garvey,” he continued.

While extending his thanks, Mayor Swaby said he would love to see the Jamaican government and the people of Jamaica honour Garvey in a more significant way.

In that regard, he suggested that the government implement Garvey’s philosophy in the school system.

READ: US 46th president Biden does what predecessors shied away from and pardons Marcus Garvey