(LEX NEWS) — Governor Andy Beshear posthumously pardoned 43 individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned for helping enslaved people escape to freedom, signing the executive order Monday ahead of Juneteenth.
According to a press release, Beshear also proclaimed Friday, June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth National Freedom Day in the Commonwealth of Kentucky — a day he has declared an executive branch holiday.
"When we have a chance to correct a historical wrong, we should do it. That's why ahead of Juneteenth, I am posthumously pardoning 43 brave Kentuckians who were wrongfully imprisoned for helping enslaved people escape to freedom," Beshear said. "These leaders are heroes – not criminals – and they and their families deserve the justice of having their names cleared."
According to the release, the executive order lists the names of all 43 individuals pardoned. Among them are:
- Elijah Anderson, a free Black man described as one of the most active Underground Railroad conductors in Kentucky. According to research and records, he helped around 1,000 people reach freedom. Anderson was arrested in Louisville for his efforts and later died in the Kentucky State Penitentiary.
- Julett Miles, a Black woman who was freed by Rev. John Fee and moved north. After learning her children were going to be sold, Miles traveled across the Ohio River to free them. She was arrested and put in prison, where she later died.
- Thomas Brown, an Irish immigrant, was arrested at the age of 60 and imprisoned. He suffered severe beatings for two years before being released.
Joining Beshear as he signed the executive order were Rev. Andrew Baskin, professor emeritus and former associate professor of African and African American Studies at Berea College, and James Prichard, a historian, author, and former member of the Filson Historical Society staff, the release states.
"We're talking about individuals who knew that there was a law, they knew that the law was unjust, they knew that the law was immoral, and they were willing to disobey the law and to suffer the consequences," Baskin said. "What Gov. Beshear did today is help to correct part of the mistakes that have happened in the Commonwealth of Kentucky."
Prichard said the pardons draw attention to a chapter of Kentucky history that has long gone unacknowledged.
"Gov. Beshear's pardon sheds a spotlight on this neglected chapter in Kentucky's history," Prichard said. "I think it's important, particularly in this time when there seems to be an effort to sanitize our past, that this part of our history is no longer swept under the rug and becomes a part of Kentucky's soil. It is well that Kentucky has finally honored the courage and sacrifice of those whose names have previously been lost to history."
Beshear acknowledged that more individuals may deserve the same recognition. He encouraged Kentuckians who know of someone who deserves a posthumous pardon for their work helping enslaved individuals reach freedom to email FreedomTrailPardons@ky.gov. All requests will be reviewed for consideration, according to the release.
