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.

A Step Towards Justice

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. The executive order lists the names of all 43 individuals pardoned.

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.

Baskin said, “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.” Prichard added that the pardons draw attention to a chapter of Kentucky history that has long gone unacknowledged.

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 [email protected].

Original reporting: WTVQ (Lexington) — read the source article.