Updated January 19, 2025 at 13:16 PM ET
On his final full day in office, President Biden pardoned Virginia House Speaker Don Scott — who was convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 1994 — and posthumously pardoned Black nationalist Marcus Garvey — who was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s and inspired civil rights leaders like Malcolm X.
Three others also received pardons, including advocates for immigrant rights, gun violence prevention, and criminal justice reform.
"As President, I have used my clemency power to make that promise a reality by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other President in U.S. history," Biden said in a statement. "These clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities."
Scott, the first Virginia House of Delegates speaker, served seven years in prison following his federal drug conviction. Since his release, Scott became a lawyer, got elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and became the first Black speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2024.
On Sunday, Scott thanked Biden for the pardon and his "commitment to second chances."
"I will never forget the pain my family felt when I was sentenced or the sound of my mother's anguish in that courtroom," Scott said in a statement. "But I also won't forget the joy of redemption and renewal — the sound of her tears as I was sworn in as Speaker."
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, celebrated Scott's story on Sunday.
"Speaker Don Scott's journey of faith and family, his determination to reshape his future, and his success in absolutely doing just that, are inspirational for all of us," Youngkin said in statement shared with NPR News.
The posthumous pardon of Marcus Garvey comes after a group of 21 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter urging Biden to grant clemency to Garvey.
Garvey created the Black Star Line, the first Black-owned shipping and travel line, and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association.
Martin Luther King Jr. — who the country celebrates on Monday — described Garvey as "the first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement."
In addition to Scott and Garvey, Biden pardoned immigrant right activist Ravi Ragbir, prison reform activist Kemba Smith Pradia, and gun violence prevention advocate Darryl Chambers. All were convicted for nonviolent offenses.
In a statement, Pradia praised Biden's action.
"His decision reflects the growing recognition that many of the harsh sentences imposed during the height of the War on Drugs caused immeasurable harm, particularly to women who have experienced intimate partner violence and communities of color," Pradia said.
Biden also commuted the sentences of Robin Peoples and Michelle West. Both will finish their sentences on February 18, 2025. Peoples was sentenced to 111 years in prison for robbing banks in Indiana, and had already served more than two decades in prison. West was facing a life sentence for being part of a drug conspiracy.
West's daughter, Miquelle West, said she was "overjoyed and deeply grateful" for Biden's clemency.
"I was only a little girl when my mom dropped me off for school one morning and never picked me up," Miquelle said in a statement. "Today, after more than 30 years hoping and advocating every day that her life sentence could somehow be reduced, the clouds have parted."
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