Abraham W. Bolden, Sr. was a former United States Secret Service agent, notably the first African American assigned to the presidential security detail. Born on January 19, 1935, in East St. Louis, Illinois, he graduated cum laude from Lincoln University with a B.A. in music composition. His career included being the first African-American detective with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and working as an Illinois State Highway Patrolman before joining the Secret Service in October 1960.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Bolden to his protective detail, making him the first Black Secret Service agent to serve in such a capacity. However, his tenure was short-lived. In 1964, Bolden was fired from the Secret Service after being charged with accepting a bribe in connection with a counterfeiting case he was investigating. He was convicted and sentenced to six years in federal prison, although he always maintained that he was framed as part of a government conspiracy to silence him.
Bolden's allegations included that he was targeted due to his criticisms of the Secret Service's handling of security for President Kennedy and the racial discrimination he experienced. His first trial ended in a hung jury, but a second trial resulted in his conviction despite key witnesses admitting they had lied at the behest of prosecutors.
After his release, Bolden continued to seek justice, eventually being pardoned by President Joe Biden in April 2022. His memoir, "The Echo From Dealey Plaza," published in 2008, discusses his experiences and his belief in a broader conspiracy surrounding the Kennedy assassination. Bolden has received several awards for his courage in speaking out against racism and injustice within the Secret Service, including the 2008 Scottish Hugo’s Companion Tankard Award for Courage and the 2008 African American Arts Alliance Award for Excellence.
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