The Port-of-Spain City Corporation finally acceded to a request laid before it in 2019 by then deputy mayor Hillan Morean to rename Oxford Street in PoS after the internationally renowned American Black Power civil rights leader Kwame Ture (formerly known as Stokely Carmichael), who was born on Oxford Street.
This decision has revived a period of earlier PNM history, whereby Carmichael had been banned in August 1967 by then prime minister Dr Eric Williams. An order signed by then governor-general Sir Solomon Hochoy on the advice of the Williams Cabinet under section 4(4) of the Immigration Ordinance declared him an “undesirable” person, and he was put on a watch list signed by Hugh Ferreira, the then Chief Immigration Officer (Express, August 13, 1967, front page).
He became famous in the USA as a Black Power civil rights leader in the 1960s. The mixture of left-wing politics with Black Power advocacy was a cocktail that Eric Williams refused to sip, far less drink, and he remained opposed to Black Power.
This decision by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago was further reinforced in a confidential telegram from Sir P Hampshire at the British High Commission in Port-of-Spain to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on April 30, 1969, as follows:
“At request of BOAC Manager, please pass urgently to Chief of Security BOAC London airport. Trinidad Government has declared as an undesirable visitor, either for in transit or landing at airports in Trinidad and Tobago Mr Stokely Carmichael Afro/American holder of US passport number H139557 issued 26/1/67. Request you advise all BOAC stations especially USA, Canada, Caribbean and Latin American states.” (Telegram 138, April 30, 1969).
Williams was adamant that he did not want Carmichael to come to T&T to talk about Black Power in 1969 or 1970. Despite the ban here, he was welcomed in Guyana in May 1970, as an alternative to his originally planned visit to T&T, by then prime minister Forbes Burnham. Simultaneously, the Guyanese Government denied Williams the assistance he had requested during the crisis in April 1970.
This refusal is revealed in a declassified secret telegram on April 22, 1970, from Mr Ritchie at the British High Commission in Georgetown to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as follows:
“I have had several conversations with Burnham since yesterday afternoon about the request transmitted by SLO Trinidad on behalf of Dr Williams for Guyana to send troops. Burnham has just told me that at a further Cabinet meeting held late last night, ministers remained adamant that no troops should be sent from here. He is sending a personal letter today by safe hand to Dr Williams to explain his Government’s position …” (Telegram 241, April 22, 1970).
The Guyana correspondent for the UK Times newspaper reported on Carmichael’s visit there on May 5, 1970, as follows:
“Mr Stokely Carmichael, the American Black Power leader, told a press conference in Georgetown yesterday that he was banned from Trinidad and Tobago because of American and British pressure on Mr Eric Williams, the Prime Minister, which meant in effect that America was running the island, and Mr Williams was selling out to the imperialists … He praised the Guyana Government for supporting free speech and showing intelligence in allowing him to visit the country.”
Concurrent with Burnham’s refusal for Guyanese troops to come to T&T was a request by Eric Williams to the British Government to facilitate the transport of troops from Nigeria and Tanzania to fight the Black Power protesters.
This latter request was put to the UK Cabinet by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster George Thomson and is revealed in declassified British Cabinet Conclusions for April 23, 1970, as follows:
“At the outset, Dr Williams had asked us to transmit requests to the Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria, General Gowon, and to the President of Tanzania, Mr Nyerere, for the despatch of troops to assist him in restoring order. He had also sought British assistance in transporting these troops to Trinidad and had asked us to supply light weapons to replace those seized by the mutineers. Dr Williams had subsequently decided not to pursue his approach to Nigeria and Tanzania, but urgent consideration had been given to our response if he pursued his request for arms.” [CC(70) 18th Conclusions, April 23, 1970].
Williams changed his mind about Nigerian and Tanzanian troops, and Burnham turned down his request for military assistance and opted to welcome Carmichael to Guyana as an alternative to Williams’ refusal to let him come home to T&T.
Williams survived. However, the ban was never lifted by Williams. PM Basdeo Panday welcomed Kwame Ture home to T&T in June 1996.
Prof Hamid Ghany is Professor of Constitutional Affairs and Parliamentary Studies at The University of the West Indies (UWI). He was also appointed an honorary professor of the UWI upon his retirement in October 2021. He continues his research and publications and also does some teaching at the UWI.
