'Cheking Out Me History' by John Agard

The Historical Figures in 'Checking Out Me History'

The poem makes a specific reference to Toussaint L'Ouverture.  Understanding this historical reference is important to a full understanding of the poem.  Read more here:

http://www.blackpast.org/gah/loverture-toussaint-1742-1803

Similarly the poem makes reference to Nanny de Maroon.  She is an important cultural figure and an understanding of this historical figure is necessary to understand the poem properly.

http://jis.gov.jm/heroes/nanny-of-the-maroons/

Another reference to a historical figure is Shaka Zulu:

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_shaka_zulu.html

You don't need much information on each historical figure.  This page from BBC primary resources is enough on Mary Seacole:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/mary_seacole/

Further Exploration

Hear the poet read the poem himself here.  Expand the section on the right hand side to read a few simple comments about structure and language.

http://genius.com/John-agard-checking-out-me-history-annotated


This is an excellent Prezi presentation on the poem.  It is quite basic in places but it covers quite a lot of important information:

https://prezi.com/vd4jw5tzb1ud/checking-out-me-history/