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Black Power Revolution

The Black Power Revolution, also known as the "Black Power
Black Power Revolution
Movement", 1970 Revolution, Black Power Uprising and
February Revolution, was an attempt by a number of social Part of Black Power
elements, people and interest groups in Trinidad and Tobago to Date 1968 – 1970
effect socio-political change.
Location Trinidad and Tobago
Methods Demonstrations,
Striking, Mutiny
Contents
History
Leadership
Escalation
Notes and references
See also
External links

History
Between 1968 and 1970, a movement gained strength in Trinidad and Tobago that was greatly
influenced by the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The National Joint Action Committee
(NJAC) was formed out of the Guild of Undergraduates at the St. Augustine campus of the University
of the West Indies (UWI). Under the leadership of Geddes Granger (later Makandal Daaga), NJAC
and the Black Power movement appeared as a serious challenge to the authority of Prime Minister
Eric Williams.

This was coupled with a growing militancy by the trade union movement, led by George Weekes of
the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union, Clive Nunez of the Transport and Industrial Workers Union and
Basdeo Panday, then a young trade union lawyer and activist. The Black Power Revolution began
with a 1970 Carnival band named Pinetoppers whose presentation entitled "The Truth about Africa"
included portrayals of "revolutionary heroes" including Fidel Castro, Kwame Ture and Tubal Uriah
Butler.

This was followed by a series of marches and protests. Williams countered with a broadcast entitled I
am for Black Power. He introduced a 5% levy to fund unemployment reduction and later established
the first locally owned commercial bank. However, this intervention had little impact on the protests,

Leadership
It was mainly led by NJAC's duo of Makandal Daaga and Khafra Khambon in tandem with other
various interests within the trade unions, and other social groups like Afro-Trinidadians and were
noted to attract many disaffected members of the then ruling People's National Movement (PNM)
under Eric Williams. A large turnout of the disaffected poor of the cities and towns, as well as those
black youth of the disaffected communities were attracted to the uprising and were present in the
movement, as well as youths and others from the St. Augustine campus of UWI.

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Escalation
On 6 April 1970 a protester, Basil Davis, was killed by the police. This was followed on 13 April by the
resignation of A. N. R. Robinson, Member of Parliament for Tobago East. The death of this protester
led to the Movement to pick up momentum. On 18 April sugar workers went on strike, and there was
talk of a general strike. In response to this, Williams proclaimed a State of Emergency on 21 April and
arrested 15 Black Power leaders. Responding in turn, a portion of the Trinidad Defense Force, led by
Raffique Shah and Rex Lassalle, mutinied and took hostages at the army barracks at Teteron.
Through the action of the Coast Guard, including Officer Hugh Griffith and negotiations between the
Government and the rebels, the mutiny was contained and the mutineers surrendered on 25 April.

Williams made three additional speeches in which he sought to identify himself with the aims of the
Black Power movement. He re-shuffled his Cabinet and removed three Ministers (including two
white members) and three senators. He also introduced the Public Order Act, which reduced civil
liberties in an effort to control protest marches. After public opposition, led by A. N. R. Robinson and
his newly created "Action Committee of Democratic Citizens" (which later became the Democratic
Action Congress), the bill was withdrawn. Attorney General Karl Hudson-Phillips offered to resign
over the failure of the bill, but Williams refused his resignation.

Notes and references

Zeno Obi Constance, De Roaring 70s:An Introduction to the Politics of the 1970s;
Brian Meeks, Radical Caribbean: From Black Power to Abu Bakr, University of the West Indies
Press, 1996, ISBN 978-9766400231
Selwyn Ryan & Taimion Stewart (eds), The Black Power Revolution 1970: A Retrospective;
Susan Craig, "Background to the 1970 Confrontation" in Contemporary Caribbean;
Ian K. Ramdhanie & Vidya Lall (eds), The Deosaran Files: Two Decades of Social and Political
Commentary (1971- 1991); Volume 2: Race, Politics and Democracy;
Ralph Premdas (ed.), Ethnicity and identity in the Caribbean: Decentering a Myth, The Helen
Kellogg Institute for International Studies (1996)
Holger Henke & Fred Reno (eds), Modern Political Culture in the Caribbean, University of the
West Indies Press, ISBN 978-9766401351
Bridget Brereton, General History of the Caribbean: The Caribbean in the Twentieth Century;
Volume V;
Clement Burkett, Reflections of a Soldier: A Memoir of 1970 and Events Before and After.

See also
Black Consciousness Movement
Black Power
Black Surrealism
Négritude

External links
The M and S Collection (https://www.loc.gov/rr/rarebook/coll/MS.html) at the Library of Congress
contains some materials from the Black Power Movement.

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