Ahead of Juneteenth, KY Gov. Beshear posthumously pardons 43 people wrongly convicted for helping enslaved people to freedom

“When we have a chance to correct a historical wrong, we should do it,” said Beshear, a potential 2028 presidential candidate.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is using his powers to bring justice to unsung heroes who risked their own freedom to help enslaved Black people escape the horrific bondage of slavery between the 1830s and 1860s.

Ahead of Juneteenth, on Monday, Beshear, a two-term Democratic governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate, signed an executive order granting posthumous pardons for 43 individuals who were convicted under state law and served time in prison for helping enslaved Black Americans escape to freedom.

“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,” said Gov. Beshear. “These leaders are heroes – not criminals – and they and their families deserve the justice of having their names cleared.”

Beshear’s executive action symbolically brings justice for those, Black and white, who were convicted under an 1835 state law that prohibited the “seducing or enticing any slave to leave his lawful owner or possessor.” The state offense carried a penalty of 2 to 20 years in prison. During this time, Kentucky, which borders the Ohio River, served as a major gateway for enslaved people seeking freedom and a primary transit zone for the Underground Railroad.

“Despite laws meant to keep others in chains, these people helped the enslaved to escape their bondage and reach out toward freedom,” Beshear’s executive order reads. “We recognize those forgotten souls who bravely sacrificed their own lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to preserve the liberty and freedoms of others.”

Among those pardoned by the Kentucky governor are former conductors of the Underground Railroad, such as Elijah Anderson, a Black man who lived in Indiana and conducted “freedom expeditions” into Kentucky. Anderson is credited with helping about 1,000 people to freedom. He was arrested in Louisville while trying to cross the Ohio border and later died in 1861 while in the Kentucky State Penitentiary.

Julett Miles, a Black woman who was convicted for trying to free her own children, is also among those posthumously pardoned by Beshear. Miles learned that her children were going to be sold in New Orleans and attempted to rescue them; however, her plan was ultimately thwarted, and she was imprisoned until her death in 1859.

Though enslaved Black Americans were eventually freed from slavery as a result of President Abraham Lincoln’s 1865 Emancipation Proclamation and the subsequent end of the Civil War, Gov. Beshear acknowledged in his executive order that the fight to ensure the birthright of freedom and equality for all Americans is one that continues today.

“But recognition alone is not enough. We now lift the weight of unjust conviction and imprisonment,” said the Kentucky governor.

Beshear also declared Friday, June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth National Freedom Day in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Despite the state legislature refusing to make Juneteenth a state holiday, the Kentucky governor first declared it an executive branch holiday in 2023. The designated holiday closes Executive Branch offices and grants state employees paid time off to observe the day.

“Juneteenth is an important day for all Kentuckians to observe and honor the historic and continuing contributions of African Americans in making our commonwealth the place we love and call home,” Gov. Beshear said after signing a proclamation in 2024. “My hope is that everyone embraces the spirit of emancipation and freedom that this day represents as we build a better Kentucky that welcomes everyone.”