Scores of mourners made their way to the National Joint Action Committee's headquarters in Portof- Spain yesterday to view the body of the Chief Servant Makandal Daaga.
With the haunting rhythms of the African drums and the scent of burning incense, mourners were taken to an upper room for the viewing, which was open for about five hours.
Many of them paid their respects to a man, who most described as a "warrior for the people of T&T."
Yesterday’s proceedings were supervised by political leader, Kwasi Mutema.
Late yesterday at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Grand Stand preparations were being undertaken for Daaga's funeral service, which is expected to begin promptly at 9 this morning.
There will also be a heightened police presence at the venue.
Daaga would have celebrated his 81st birthday today.
The Emancipation Support Committee, in a statement yesterday, expressed its deepest condolences to Daaga’s wife, Liseli and his four children. Also, to the extended family of NJAC.
The Committee remembers Daaga for leading the movement which has been credited with “Having had the greatest impact on reshaping the economy and the society of T&T in the 20th Century.”
“Daaga will be an inspiration to the future generations of young people who don’t sleep to dream but dream to change the world,” the Committee said.
Daaga now joins other outstanding stalwarts of the 1970 Black Power Movement in the Caribbean who made the transition before him, such as Maurice Bishop of Grenada, Tim Hector of Antigua, Dr Walter Rodney of Guyana and from T&T Kwame Ture (who made his mark in the USA), George Weekes, Winston Leonard, Lidj Yasu Omowale and Lasana Kwesi).
The National Trade Union of T&T (Natuc) also paid homage to Daaga for paving the way for the people of descent to hold positions in banks, financial and insurance institutions. “Natuc believes the region has been robbed of one the most esteemed progressive voices. While Mr Daaga’s death marks the end of an era, the union says it was one of great pride, achievement and controversy. It says T&T should never forget that Mr Daaga spent his life pursuing justice and dignity for the working class and Africans, in particular,” the release stated.
Oropouche MP Dr Roodal Moonilal in a letter to Mutema said: "”Trinidad and Tobago—and, indeed, the developing world—has lost a leader who matched courage with campaign, idealism with insistence, motivation with mobilisation."