Understanding the poem 'Checking Out Me History'

Agard received a Eurocentric perspective on history, growing up in Guyana whilst it was a British colony. Agard shares his indignation that the education system restricted him from understanding his full identity. In his poem, Agard affirms his Caribbean heritage through his use of Guyanese creole. Agard celebrates Caribbean figures, neglected in his history lessons, in the italicised sections of the poem. One of Agard’s messages could be the importance of breaking free from restrictive systems.