MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS of a Posthumous Pardon for the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey gather for a photograph at the Universal Negro Improvement Association Black History Month event.
To mark the beginning of Black History Month, a press conference was held on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at the Drexel Square Seniors Building, 810 East 51st Street, to celebrate the posthumous pardon of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA & ACL), Garvey/Nkrumah Memorial Progressive Division 429 President Clyde Banks, Vice President Shaka Barak, and Lady President Georgia Johnson Banks convened with supporters who had long advocated for Garvey’s exoneration.
Prominent voices at the conference praised the long-overdue justice granted to Garvey, the founder and first president-general of UNIA, which remains the largest mass movement of African Americans in U.S. history. Hyde Park Writers Group President Gerrie Hudson, South Street Journal publisher and Black Wall Street Group leader Ron Carter, Apostle Ulysses Ruff, and Anthony Travis, known as “The Tax Doctor,” were among those who offered remarks in support of the clemency.
Attendees were given UNIA’s signature red, black, and green flag—symbols of Black liberation—and official copies of the Grant of Clemency. President Joseph Biden Jr. issued the executive clemency on January 19, 2025, recognizing that Garvey was unjustly convicted in a racially charged legal system that sought to undermine his movement for Black self-determination and economic independence.
Shaka Barak, who moderated the event and curated the Marcus Garvey Exhibit, announced that celebrations and educational programs would continue throughout February and the rest of the year, not just in Chicago but across the country. Photographer and videographer Afrah Manderson documented the event.
Barak emphasized the historical injustice of Garvey’s persecution, stating, “The Most Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey was persecuted, he was innocent, he was wrongly convicted and wrongly imprisoned.”
Clyde Banks highlighted the significance of the pardon for future generations, saying, “Now that he has been post-pardoned, it will be easier to educate the youth about his life and work.”
For continued coverage of Garvey’s legacy and upcoming events, supporters are encouraged to follow the Chicago Crusader Newspaper or contact Shaka Barak at [email protected] or 312-391-8383.