IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 44 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should grant a 
pardon to Marcus Mosiah Garvey to clear his name and affirm his 
innocence of crimes for which he was unjustly prosecuted and convicted. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2009 
Mr. RANGEL submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President 
should grant a pardon to Marcus Mosiah Garvey to 
clear his name and affirm his innocence of crimes for 
which he was unjustly prosecuted and convicted. 
Whereas Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born in St. Ann’s Bay, 
Jamaica, on August 17, 1887, and emigrated to the 
United States; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey was the founder and leader of the 
Universal Negro Improvement Association, the largest 
Black organization in history, which was dedicated to the 
economic, social, and political empowerment of African- 
Americans and the fostering of unity between all people 
of African decent; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:06 Feb 11, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC44.IH
HC44
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
•HCON 44 IH 
Whereas Marcus Garvey’s movement for humans rights, eco-
nomic self-sufficiency, and cultural solidarity for peoples 
of African decent attracted millions of followers in the 
United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and 
Europe; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey’s philosophy of uniting the people of 
the African Diaspora around a recognition of their com-
mon heritage and his teachings regarding pride, self help, 
and identification with Africa inspired Black leaders 
throughout the world, including W.E.B. DuBois, Kwame 
Nkrumah, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King; 
Whereas pervasive discrimination and subjugation of African- 
Americans in the United States created a climate of in-
tolerance towards Black social activists, such as Marcus 
Garvey, and a determination by the United States Gov-
ernment to undermine and destroy the Universal Negro 
Improvement Association; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey became the target of surveillance 
and harassment by Federal law enforcement agencies; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey was arrested numerous times, with 
charges being dropped on each occasion, thus indicating 
that the arrests were solely for the purpose of harassing 
Marcus Garvey and disrupting the Universal Negro Im-
provement Association; 
Whereas, after a zealous effort by Government authorities, 
which included infiltration of the Universal Negro Im-
provement Association, Marcus Garvey was prosecuted 
and convicted of a single count of mail fraud by Federal 
authorities in 1923 and sent to prison; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:06 Feb 11, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC44.IH
HC44
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
•HCON 44 IH 
Whereas Marcus Garvey, in connection with the severe criti-
cism of his politically motivated conviction, submitted his 
first official application for Executive clemency in 1925; 
Whereas, in 1926, nine members of the jury that convicted 
Marcus Garvey signed an affidavit recommending the 
commutation of his sentence; 
Whereas, in response to the public outcry regarding the sus-
pect nature of Garvey’s conviction, and on the action of 
the United States Pardon Attorney’s Office, President 
Calvin Coolidge commuted Garvey’s sentence in 1927, es-
tablishing the precedent for Executive clemency in this 
case; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey, as a consequence of his conviction, 
was deported from the United States in 1927, never to 
return again; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey maintained his innocence and his de-
sire to be exonerated throughout the remainder of his 
life; 
Whereas it is now widely accepted that the case against 
Marcus Garvey was politically motivated, the charges un-
substantiated, and his conviction unjust; 
Whereas millions of petitioners have appealed for his exonera-
tion; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey’s body was returned to Jamaica in 
1964, where he was officially declared the country’s first 
national hero; 
Whereas Marcus Garvey is recognized as a towering figure in 
African, African-American, and world history; and 
Whereas Marcus Garvey’s life and contributions to the 
United States should be recognized and appropriate steps 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:06 Feb 11, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC44.IH
HC44
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
•HCON 44 IH 
taken to restore his name and reputation in this country: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) Marcus Garvey was innocent of the charges 
brought against him by the United States Govern-
ment; 
(2) Marcus Garvey is and should be recognized 
internationally as a leader and thinker in the strug-
gle for human rights and dignity; and 
(3) the President should endeavor to restore the 
honor and good name of Marcus Garvey through the 
granting of a full posthumous pardon that proclaims 
his conviction to have been unjust and unwarranted 
and affirms his innocence on the charges brought 
against him. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
04:06 Feb 11, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HC44.IH
HC44
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS