We are petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
Marcus Garvey, founder of the UNIA, was arrested and charged with mail fraud for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. Although his sentence was eventually commuted by President Calvin Coolidge, it is now abundantly clear that Garvey did not commit any criminal acts, but as Professor Judith Stein has stated, “his politics were on trial."
As one of the pivotal figures in the Civil Rights movement and the Harlem Renaissance, Marcus Garvey has influenced nearly every sphere of American life. Yet, Marcus Garvey's name remains tarnished.
Therefore, we are respectfully petitioning President Barack Obama to clear the good name of Marcus Garvey.