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In the story of modern Trinidad and Tobago, few moments carry as much political and psychological weight as the Black Power Revolution of 1970.
It was not only a street uprising or a student protest movement, but it was also, as many participants described it, a confrontation with the deepest structures of colonial society intact after independence.
For those unfamiliar, the Black Power Revolution took place between February and April 1970. It began with student-led protests influenced by the Black Power movement in the United States and Canada, particularly at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, and quickly grew into a wider national movement involving labour unions, trade disputes, and calls for social and economic reform. Demonstrations escalated in March, with mass marches in Port-of-Spain and increasing industrial action, including strikes in the oil and sugar sectors. Tensions peaked on April 21, 1970, when then prime minister Dr Eric Williams declared a state of emergency, ordering the arrest of several leaders of the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) and other activists, while a mutiny also broke out within the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment at Teteron Barracks. The military quickly moved to regain control, and the uprising was contained over the following days, marking the end of the unrest.
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