Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterOCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
THE JAMAICAN Government is taking steps aimed at making a formal request to the government of the United States, to have the name of National Hero, Marcus Garvey, expunged from that country's criminal records.
This was disclosed by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller on Thursday, in response to a request from the St. Ann Homecoming Committee that the Government use its high office to support moves already under way in the United States (U.S.) to have Garvey's name cleared.
For nearly 20 years, U.S. Congressman, Charles B. Rangel, has been leading a relentless appeal to the U.S. Government to have the matter addressed. Members of the St. Ann Homecoming Committee have said they are concerned that Jamaica has remained silent on such an important issue involving the country's first National Hero.
REGRETTABLE SILENCE
In a May 18, letter to the Prime Minister, the committee, headed by returning resident Herbert Murdock, said that it was "regrettable that we have not risen with one voice to clear the name of the man we publicly acknowledge as our first national hero".
But in a letter to members of the committee dated June 29, which was read at a meeting on Wednesday, Mrs. Simpson Miller said the request had been forwarded to both the Attorney General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs for advice and the "approach to be adopted".
The Prime Minister assured members of the committee that they will be contacted as soon as the advice is received from those from which it was requested.
In 1923 Marcus Garvey was charged with mail fraud in the United States in connection with the affairs of the Black Star Line Steam Ship Corporation.
In 1925 he was tried and convicted of the charge, fined US$1,000 and sentenced to five years imprisonment. Garvey spent nearly three years in a federal prison in Atlanta and was released in November 1927 and deported to Jamaica in early December that year.
A number of interest groups within the United States have been lobbying for Garvey's name to be cleared of what they described as 'trumped up' charges to destabilise his Universal Negro Improvement Association.
Mr. Murdock told the meeting that he was heartened by the Prime Minister's response and hoped that the matter would be dealt with expeditiously.
