Politics

Jamaica’s Prime Minister May Request Exoneration of Garvey When She Meets President Obama in Kingston

Published

11 years ago

April 8, 2015

Oakland Post

Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller (Collin Reid/AP Photo)

by Tony Best
Special to the NNPA from the New York Carib News

When U.S. President Barack Obama and Portia Simpson-Miller, Jamaica’s leader, meet in Kingston next Thursday, the legacy and the name of Marcus Mosiah Garvey as seen through American and Jamaican eyes may be put on the table for discussion.

The issue may be put there by Simpson-Miller, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, and what may be at stake is a pardon or exoneration for Garvey, a Jamaican national hero who spent more than a dozen years in the United States where he led the largest economic and social mass movement of Blacks in the first half of the 20th century. Garvey advocated economic independence and positive self-awareness for millions of Blacks. At the same time he encouraged a positive cultural identity and self-determination for people of color. However, his message stirred Black and white critics whose complaints and allegations triggered a federal investigation that culminated in a conviction on federal mail fraud charges which many independent legal analysts and Garvey supporters insist to this day were trumped up and therefore didn’t have any basis in fact.

The issue of Garvey’s treatment in the U.S. was raised at a Diaspora town Hall meeting in Manhattan last week by Simpson-Miller who told hundreds of Jamaicans that she might raise it.

“We are a great people. We have produced many great sons and daughters” and they ranged from Bob Marley and Bogle and Samuel Sharpe to Nanny, Queen of the maroons and Marcus Garvey and it was in that context that she said that she would raise the matter.

“As Jamaicans we come from strong bloodlines. Whether it was Bogle, Sharp, Garvey. I think I will have to raise with President Obama when he visits Jamaica, Marcus Garvey,” was the way she put it. “That great man should never be seen as a criminal. That great man. I believe his name should be expunged from the record (of criminals).”

In raising the issue in that way during a short speech devoted to praising the Diaspora and urging nationals to attend the Jamaica Diaspora conference in June, Simpson-Miller didn’t indicate if she would seeking a pardon or exoneration.

Obama is going to Jamaica to meet with Caricom leaders while on his way to Panama to attend next month’s Summit of the America on April 10-11.

Garvey who came to the U.S. in 1916 from Jamaica, founded and led the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which at one stage had about a million members scattered across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. He formed an array of national corporations and institutions, including the Black Star (Shipping) Line, the Negro Factory Corporation, the Negro World newspaper, and the Black Cross Nurses as well as the Flying Eagles. His message of self-help and independence resonated with Blacks everywhere.

When asked to comment on the Prime Minister’s statement, Garvey’s son, Dr. Julius Garvey, a board certified surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases, described his father’s 1920s trial as “unjust” and his conviction was without merit.

“There was no criminal behavior and the whole thing was a miscarriage of justice,” said Dr. Garvey. “It can’t be that he is pardoned of criminal behavior. We are using the means of pardon because we acknowledge that the justice system failed. It was an injustice and this needs to be corrected. While the word may be ‘pardon” it would have to be surrounded by other things which indicate there was no criminal behavior. On the contrary, he was victimized by the judiciary because of the stance he took in terms of supporting Black people at that point in time.

“Whatever the legal term used, it has to state there was no criminal behavior. The trial was basically a farce and it was a miscarriage of justice,” he explained. “It was instigated by Edgar Hoover. Those facts and statement have to be there.”

Like the Prime Minister, Dr. Garvey said his father “was not a criminal” and was simply trying to promote the concerns and well-being of “African peoples worldwide” at a time of widespread colonialism and racism.

A.J. Nicholson, Jamaica’s Foreign Minister who once served as his country’s Attorney-General, told the Carib News that he too was keen on pressing the Garvey case with Obama.

“If I get the chance I will ask the President about Marcus Garvey,” said the Foreign Minister.

During the Town Hall meeting at St. George’s Episcopal Church, both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister praised the members of the Jamaican Diaspora for their commitment to their country’s development.

Hermon Lamont, the Jamaica Consul-General in New York, was the chairman of session which was frequently interrupted by gay activists shouting criticisms of the government and the Prime Minister from the rear of the church.

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Related Topics:jamaica Marcus Garvey Marcus Garvey exoneration Portia Simpson-Miller

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Jamaica’s Prime Minister May Request Exoneration of Garvey When She Meets President Obama in Kingston

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Oakland Mayor Pushes Charter Overhaul to Clarify Roles in City Government, Increase Accountability and Improve Service Delivery

Under the proposal, the mayor would serve as Oakland’s chief executive, overseeing city departments, implementing policy, proposing the annual budget, and managing day-to-day operations. The measure would also give the mayor veto power over legislation and the budget, though the City Council could override a veto with a two-thirds vote.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee is backing a sweeping proposal to restructure Oakland’s government, arguing the changes would make City Hall more accountable and improve the delivery of basic services like public safety, homelessness response, and infrastructure repairs.

The charter reform measure, introduced April 7 and co-sponsored by Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins, would ask voters in November to approve a “strong mayor, strong council” system designed to create clearer lines of authority inside city government.

The City Council, meanwhile, would maintain legislative authority by adopting ordinances, approving budgets, conducting oversight hearings, and confirming key mayoral appointments. The proposal would also create an Independent Budget and Legislative Analyst Office to provide nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis for councilmembers.

“I’ve spent months listening to Oaklanders across every neighborhood about what they expect from their city government,” Lee said. “The Charter Reform Working Group’s engagement made clear that residents want a system where there are no questions about who is responsible for delivering results on public safety, homelessness, infrastructure, and basic services.”

Jenkins said the proposal would strengthen both executive leadership and council oversight.

“I’ve long believed Oakland works best when residents have clear lines of accountability and a government structure that aligns responsibility with results,” Jenkins said.

The proposal follows recommendations from the Mayor’s Charter Reform Working Group, co-facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR.

Over five months, the group conducted more than 60 interviews, held 14 public meetings across Oakland, and engaged more than 750 residents while reviewing governance models used in other cities.

“The process of engaging residents across Oakland surfaced the governance clarity Oakland needs,” said Sujata Srivastava of SPUR. “The Charter Reform Working Group has produced a thoughtful set of recommendations that if adopted could strengthen accountability and improve service delivery across city government.”

Polling cited by the mayor’s office suggests voters may be open to the changes. A February 2026 poll by the East Bay Polling Institute found 64% of voters support adopting a strong-mayor system. Separate polling conducted by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce and David Binder Research found support ranging from 61% to 63% among likely voters.

The measure is scheduled to be heard by the City Council Rules Committee on May 21. If approved by the council, it would appear on the November 2026 ballot, where Oakland voters would have the final say.

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Activism

The Ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Hold Day of Advocacy at the Capitol in Sacramento

A member of the “Divine Nine,” Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was founded on Jan. 13, 1913, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The organization was established by 22 women who sought to shift the group’s focus from social activities to public service, academic excellence, and social activism.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) presents a Senate resolution to the Delta Theta Sigma Sorority Farwest Region at the State Capitol on May 4. Photo courtesy of the Senate Rules Committee.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

On May 4, members of the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., convened at the California State Capitol for the organization’s 23rd annual Delta Days in Sacramento.

The two-day advocacy event brings together chapters from across California to engage directly in the legislative process, connect with lawmakers, and advocate for policies impacting Black communities.

Members of the sorority were honored on the Senate floor by Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro), who is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

Richardson welcomed the Farwest Region during the presentation of a Senate resolution recognizing outgoing Regional Director Kimberly Usher for her leadership and service.

“In addition to the Far West Region, we are led by a fearless leader, regional director Kimberly Usher. She has now served her full term of what’s allowed,” Richardson said. “We are going to be having our regional conference, but we wanted to give it to her here, officially recognizing her service.”

The resolution was co-authored by Richardson and fellow members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Delta Sigma Theta, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

Usher has served in the leadership role since 2022.

“We are founded on sisterhood that is deeply rooted in scholarship, service, and social action,” said Weber Pierson, a member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

“Today, we continue a legacy of empowering communities and upholding the high cultural, intellectual, and moral standards established by our founders over a century ago,” she added.

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Activism

Rep. Kamlager-Dove Introduces Bill to Protect Women in Custody After Reports Detailing Miscarriages and Neglect

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) on May 7, reintroduced updated legislation aimed at strengthening protections and healthcare standards for pregnant and postpartum women held in federal custody, including in immigration detention facilities.

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

The legislation builds on a bipartisan version previously passed by the House during the 117th Congress. The updated bill includes new standards for healthcare access, mental health and substance use treatment, high-risk pregnancy care, family unity protections and increased federal oversight.

“Proper pregnancy care is a human right, regardless of your immigration or incarceration status,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody.”

The bill would also limit the use of restraints and restrictive housing for pregnant women, improve data collection on maternal health in custody and require additional staff training and enforcement measures.

Supporters of the measure said the legislation is intended to address long-standing concerns about maternal healthcare and safety in detention settings, particularly for Black women and low-income women who are disproportionately impacted by incarceration and health disparities.

“Pregnant women in custody should never be subjected to dangerous and inhumane treatment that threatens their health, dignity, or the well-being of their babies,” said Patrice Willoughby, chief of policy and legislative affairs for the NAACP and a longtime public policy and government affairs strategist, in a statement.

A 2021 report estimated there are about 58,000 admissions of pregnant women into U.S. jails and prisons each year. Kamlager’s statement also cited a recent investigation by NBC News and Bloomberg Law that identified allegations of severe mistreatment or medical neglect involving at least 54 pregnant women or families in county jails between 2017 and 2024.

Federal policy under the Department of Homeland Security restricts the detention of pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants except in extreme cases. However, the agency reported that ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing women between January 2025 and February 2026, including 16 recorded miscarriages during that period.

The bill is cosponsored by several House Democrats and backed by organizations including the NAACP and the Vera Institute of Justice.