Checking Out Me History

Question 1

Name 5 quotations in Checking out me history.

Answer 1

(1) “Bandage up me eye with me own history Blind me to me own identity”
(2) “Dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat But Toussaint L’Ouverture no dem never tell me bout dat”
(3) “Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492 but what happen to de caribs and de Arawaks too”
(4) “A healing star among the wounded a yellow sunrise to the dying”
(5) “Dem tell me bout ole King Cole was a merry ole soul but dem never tell me bout Mary Seacole”

Question 2

What is the context for checking out me history?

Answer 2

• Explores impact of eurocentric version of history
• Poet is mixed race and struggled to identify eith the ehite historical figures he has only ever been taught about
• Contrasts these figures with important black figures he learnt himself
• Helped him dicover himself