The 1970 Black Power Movement in Trinidad

February 1970 was a time of striking contrast for the people living in this most sudden island of the caribbean. for the first 10 days of the month, a high spirited guilty spot the country as the population prepared for and fitted what must be considered the most engaging form of play any people could create Trinidad carnival. mid-month and lent followed, a time of calm and a chance to recover spent energies. then suddenly the final week of February the trust of Clinton raising Unison with a massive Cry of Power shattered the afternoon quiet of the island capital, but the spain. carnival place soon became an ironic event out of the past and the Curious Prelude to 8 weeks of sustained political upheaval which will forever be known as the February Revolution.

As a result of these eight weeks for February 26th to April 24th, the government of Eric Williams and his party, The People's National movement, finally demonstrated after 14 years of rule, that they are politically bankrupt, that it critically leadership vacuum has engulfed nation and that government's power of persuasion or control of the people stems from the use of force rather than any moral imperatives that the Williams this government at one stage might have possessed.

The real significance of this period however has very close to do with the inadequacy of Eric Williams government. this has a long been articulated perhaps most likely by radical thinkers at the University of the west indies, by several journalists and by one or two labor union leaders. what is critical here is the very serious confrontation between diverse forms of political organization and ideology taking shape subsequent to the passing of Eric Williams. will Williams's rule be perpetuated with the use of police power over the assistance of an American Military presence and the event local forces insufficient? or if the Williams pnm is finished, which of the radical forces now working for political change will emerge with the Trinidad's population support, are the consequence of changes in leadership, what sort of political economic and social Revolution is likely to take place

Dr Williams and the PNM began to dominate Trinidad politics in 1956. although and essentially middle class movement, the parties later electoral success with the people with the consequence of Williams's charismatic leadership coupled with the popular program he projected. National independence, more widespread participation in the political and economic life of the country, and a refreshing morality in public affairs. yet after 14 years of absolute power, the pnm has to fulfilled Only it's pledge to bring Independence to Trinidad in 1962. and respect to participatory politics, morality in public affairs, effective Administration or greater local control of the economy, the record has been full.

In the words of one local writer Williams is a personal Monarch who has exercised control over the country which that even Ncrumah at the height of his powers could have done in Ghana. For example as prime minister Dr Williams has control over the ministry of finance, planning, development, Tobago affairs, community development, local government and external affairs. Moreover, most observers recognize that this personal involvement on the part of the Prime Minister is necessitated by the fact that the resources of the PNM leadership are minimum. with the exception of one or two men, the doctor simply has no one he can rely on to run the country. Most of the ministers are either incompetent or corrupt or books. and unfortunately, those that are capable have been disillusioned over the years and have subsequently left the party.

Black Lack of popular participation in the country's political processes is also reflected in voting trends from 1966 to the present. in 1956 for example, 80% of the electric went to the polls. this figured you're up to 73% in 1958, 265% in 966, and as low as 34% in 1968. in 1961, 50% of the lecturate votable P&M candidates while 7 years later the party received only 80% of the total votes in the 1968.

Ideologically, the PNM defines itself as pragmatic. in fact Williams has never been taken with any ideology. he is essentially a reformist, anti-colonialist politician who leads a party which has avoided establishing any sustained long range program. the pattern of development most applicable is the Puerto Rican model of incentive in industrialization with the use of foreign capital. the effects of this model however have been negligible if not absolutely harmful government policies for example have widened the gap between rich and poor could tell indigenous economic creativity, prostituted local labor and place in alternate control of the economy in the hands of American interests. at the same time, local unemployment and dissatisfaction have expanded significantly.

Today, 57,000 men or 57% of the labor force of Trinidad cannot find work. of those that do find work, 70,000 or one of five are employed less than 32 hours a week. of this total 26,000 I employed for only 16 hours a week. so it is satisfaction is generated with the patterns of employment Trinidadians of European origin have little difficulty finding employment, while trinidadians of african, East Indian or mixed origin compromise a disproportionate number of the unemployed. the wage structure is also waited against the black or east Indian national. those of European extraction in an average of $500 per month, whereas afro trinidadians in an average wage of $104, and those of East Indian origin an average of $77.

Underlying the play of Carnival time then was a hidden yet very real disaffection with the 14 years of P&M rule. the depth of this this Dissatisfaction became apparent when the national joint action committee and jack, led by Toto get his grader, monster the streets of Port of Spain on the afternoon of the 26th of February

The national joint action committee was initially started last year with it express purpose of establishing solidarity with West Indian students facing travel in Montreal, Canada for conspiring to burn on the computer center at sir George Williams University. The sgwu affair send from claims of racism made by black students against a professor of biology. after several months of fruitless protest against the university administration, a large group of African students occupied the University's computer center, holding it until driven out or arrested by Montreal police. in this comment between the 97 students and the police, the center code fire with a million dollars worth of damage as the result. the students would then charge for deliberately something far to the building, held on very high bail and brought the trial this year.

The radicalization of Geddes Granger and other members of NJAC was a direct result of the SGWU affair. When grades are first entered the University of the West indies, his interest in contemporary Caribbean politics was flight. of time however, I'm particularly as a result of the Canadian action against West Indian students, Granger became more involved in campus politics, eventually developing a reputation as a competent organizer and charismatic speaker. elected to the presidency of the Guild of undergraduates, Granger quickly established itself as the leader of the student activists and began organizing and jack. among the first significant protests initiated by Granger was the closer of the campus of the governor general of Canada was on a state visit to Trinidad last year.

Sir Roland Michener's visit to Trinidad was an uneventful trip until this official Entourage Visted the University campus with students had placed themselves in front of the main gate. Michelle was greeted by this human barricade and provides by Granger and his colleagues, and as a result he was supposed to turn and take his way back to Port of spain. would this action raise your focused popular attention on the plight of black students in canada, established solidarity with them, gave prime minister Eric Williams is telling personal setback as Williams was Pro Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and immersed as a significant political personality in his own right.

Thus, on February 26th, Granges and Jack Martin for the Spain with only a continuation of an efforts as a student leader and organizer. this group was small, however, and when I've gone unnoticed except for the fact that the protest was carried inside the walls of the Roman Catholic Cathedral located in the heart of the capital. with bonus and bravado which suck the middle class population of the country, Granger Mass into the cathedral walk to the sanctuary and spoke of the Repressive role of the church in the lives of the black population. black hoods were dripped over statues, black eyes will be calling for Freedom now and they're still going power started with piss in the air. great day explain to his followers why they had entered the Cathedral of saying the Roman Catholic Church's wife, God is right, Jesus is right, Mary is right, the apostles except perhaps Judas worldwide, all the angels and Saints saved a few hastily added the other day our white.

The event carried a great deal of publicity and many while voicing outrage that such an incident could happen in trinidad. nevertheless, most assume that Granger had gone too far, that most of the population would follow the lead of the establishment and view the protest as a crude or isolated deviation. a week past and everything seem to be normal. then on March 5th the nation witness the largest demonstration and support the black power ever to take place in the caribbean.

From a group of Nine the week before, the Granger LED March had grown to over 10,000. traffic was held for over 4 hours as trinidadians for every part of the country crowded into the capital to head and Jack and greatest speak about the need for change. “ we shall walk without speaking, without shouting, without smiling, but we will walk with anger.”

The crowds moved out of Woodford square and passed in front of the parliament building. shouts of power Power Fill the air and Six Flags too red two black and one green will place in front of the red house by 6:00 black men and women. greater explained the significance of the colors. “ the red flags are a declaration of war, black is for victory and black unity. and the green one is for peace after we have received victory.”

Granger continued: “there is a plan to brutalize you. but we are not ready for a confrontation. we are not ready for violence. but it will surely come.”

Then instead of focusing the crowd's attention on the Canadian government, Ranger and the other speakers shifted the protest to local conditions and Dr Williams government. the target became the white minority who control the significant majority of economic wealth in trinidad. “ our movement is working towards the day when each black person will be able to get a fair deal, be he of African or east Indian descent, would be able to feel that he has a stake in the future about society. we are therefore against the present system Trinidad which can only result in the Perpetuation of the status quo. and Trinidad we have a black government which is not working in the interest of the people, for this drive to perpetuate a system of capitalism, his system which serves to provide huge profits for the foreign firms like the Royal Bank of canada, african, or Texaco trinidad. we cannot and indeed will not allow our black people to be further dehumanized. and I say to you there must be change.”

Placards carried by the demonstrators carried many of the same ideas, but some hit closer to home:

• Doc, remember the RC church was against You in 1956
• Williams is keeping us in capitalism and slavery
• Mt. St. Benedict is a legal obeah house
• has the church done for black people, suffering people, unemployment?
• police we know your problems
• pretty policeman, would you lash block me? - a sign held by a pretty Trinidadian
• I've never seen a white Ape, so where did the white man come from?

The following day, March 6th, another Mass demonstration filled the streets of Port of spain. At the same time, five of the nine leaders of the March into the cathedral were charged with assault and unlawful assembly on February 26th. In court, one of the nine and member of NJAC, Dave The Brew pointed a finger at the police guard and shouted a prophetic warning. “ You police should be on our side. the armies on our side. all we need now is your help to see his power. we have supper too long at the hands of these Canadian bastards, and this is the time you black policemen should join our crusade.”

March 6th was also the day the movement to violence. Nine stores were hit that day, Windows smashed and molotov cocktails began to explode around the homes of leading businessmen. One homemade bomb exploded the front window of Dr Frank Hagan's home. Hagen is the vice consul Of the American embassy.

During the next two weeks, demonstrations numbering 8 to 20,000 Trinidadians kept the country in a Perpetual state of protest. Granger with his arms lipidated with the agitating crowds to rise up and read the nation of white oppresses. People's articles and editorials focus attention on the fact that there was need for change, that the black population had been short changed but that violence or revolution would not be the answers. but greater kept marching and with him the population. Meanwhile, the government was still. the middle class, threatened as they have never been before, began to panic. Many wondered what Dr Williams was doing, why he remain So Silent in the face of the NJAC challenges. but this began to pack their bags and leave for vacation in Barbados, a Haven for the middle class wife of the caribbean. The violence also increased. and although NJAC never organized Terror campaigns, the month of cocktail became an extension of the movement. At least a half million dollars worth of damage was caused by fire throughout the island. the minister of education and cultural affairs, Senator Donald Pierre was threatened and his home hit by a lighted lambo. I should not see groups began to form in the middle class, well T White House and development with the wrong part of spain. communication system to set up between neighbors with previously never even spoken to one another.

Yet the government responded with the most ineffectual comments. The statement of Mr Cameron Laden Muhammad, minister of Western interferes soup that's one example. “It is a sad day indeed when others who saw Trinidad as an example of peaceful coexistence of progress now think of the nation as a place of unrest. The Damage Done to the nation's images is priceless. the eyes of the world are upon us “.

The equally incredible comment of the minister of petroleum, commercial industry, John O'Halloran also demonstrates how out of touch the government really was. " the present black power demonstrations have been engineered by communist agitators trained and paid for by Fidel Castro's Cuba.”

However, violence was also taking a toll on the movement itself. As a result of Granges willingness to condone, if not encourage, the violence tactics of terror, the Black Power movement began to split. for example all the way the primers of the Black Panther group openly disassociated himself and the Panthers from the NJAC.

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