Black History
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott Receives Biden Pardon
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, the first Black Speaker in the state’s history, received a presidential pardon from Joe Biden, recognizing his journey from incarceration to leadership as a testament to redemption and second chances.
#DonScott #PresidentialPardon #JoeBiden #CriminalJusticeReform #RedemptionStory #BlackLeaders #VirginiaPolitics #SecondChances

By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott was one of more than roughly 2,500 convicted non-violent drug offenders who received a recent pardon from President Joe Biden, whose term in the White House ended on Jan. 20.
“Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said in a statement. “This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars.”
During his final days in office, Biden pardoned a total of 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, after pardoning roughly 1500 people who were released from prison and placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic. All of the recent pardons come on the heels of Biden issuing pardons to 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes during the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. On Thanksgiving weekend.
Biden granted a “full and unconditional pardon” to Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of federal gun charges and also pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax evasion.
Biden also commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment.
Biden’s latest pardons include Scott, criminal justice advocate Kemba Smith Pradia, (who was convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994 and sentenced to 24 years in prison), and Marcus Garvey. Former President Bill Clinton commuted Pradia’s sentence in 2000.
Recently, Biden also pardoned Marcus Garvey, who was convicted in 1923 of mail fraud, which led to his imprisonment and eventual deportation. Advocates have long argued that Garvey’s case was driven by political motives aimed at silencing his activism. Biden’s pardon acknowledges this historical injustice.
In a recent statement, Virginia’s first Black Speaker of the House of Delegates, who served eight years on 1994 federal drug charges and was elected to the Virginia state legislature in 2019, said, “I am deeply humbled to share that I have received a Presidential Pardon from President Joe Biden for a mistake I made in 1994 – one that changed the course of my life and taught me the true power of redemption.”
Scott, 59, made history last year when he became the first Black to serve as speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in January 2024, during its more than 400-year history. He had his voting rights restored about a dozen years ago by then-Gov. Robert McDonnell (R), who attended his swearing-in ceremony.
Scott continued in a statement released after Biden’s recent pardon was announced, “After serving nearly eight years in federal prison for my actions, I came out determined to reshape my future. I was driven by faith, family, and the belief that a person’s worst mistake doesn’t define the entirety of their story. My journey – from being arrested as a law student to standing here today as the first Black Speaker of the House of Delegates in Virginia’s 405-year history – is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of second chances.”
Kara Gotsch, executive director of The Sentencing Project, said in a statement that the debts of those sentenced under the old crack cocaine policies had long been paid.
“Cruel and excessive prison sentences that have overwhelmingly harmed Black communities have been the cornerstone of federal drug policy for generations. Today’s commutations from President Biden are a welcome relief for countless families who have endured punishments for loved ones that far exceed their utility,” Gotsch said. Biden “is leaving office with a lasting legacy on criminal justice reform.”
Scott, meanwhile, said after he received the recent pardon that he attributes it to efforts spearheaded by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia) and Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Virginia). “I will never forget the pain my family felt when I was sentenced or the sound of my mother’s anguish in that courtroom,” he wrote in his 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. To those who may feel their mistakes define them, I want you to know that it’s possible to rebuild and thrive,” Scott said.
After the pardoning, Senator Kaine (D-VA) released the following statement:
“Don Scott is an inspiration and living example that redemption is possible. Following his release from prison, he rebuilt his life – passing the Virginia bar exam, developing a reputation as an effective civil and criminal litigator, serving in the General Assembly, and then being unanimously elected as the first African-American Speaker of the House of Delegates in Virginia’s history.
“I was glad to advocate for this pardon, and extend my deepest thanks to my colleagues that joined in that effort, and of course to President Biden. I would also like to thank President Biden for pardoning Richmonder and longtime acquaintance Kemba Smith Pradia, who turned her trauma into advocacy on issues relating to criminal justice, domestic violence, and equity.”

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