Pardoned Black Man Returns to Georgia After 39 Years
ATLANTA — A black man who refused induction into the Army in the 1960s because the all-white draft board wouldn’t address him as “mister” returned to the United States for the first time in 39 years Wednesday after receiving a presidential pardon.
With tears streaming down his face, Preston King greeted 20 members of his family--some of whom he had never met--at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.
King, 63, fled his hometown of Albany, Ga., in 1961 after being sentenced to 18 months in prison. Over the years, he made a life for himself as a professor in England, where his daughter is a member of Parliament.
On Monday, President Clinton granted King a pardon so he could return to Albany for the funeral today of his oldest brother, Clennon W. King Jr.
“This is a wonderful homecoming,” King said.
King’s daughter, Oona, a member of Britain’s House of Commons, flew with her father from London and said the homecoming was bittersweet.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
