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.
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.
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, led by Commander David Bloom and negotiations between the Government and the rebels, the mutiny was contained and the mutineers surrendered on 25 April.