For this activity, you will need to turn to the poem 'Checking Out Me History' by John Agard, which can be found in the Power and Conflict section of your Anthology.

The poem gives examples of powerful black figures from history, often involved in a conflict against the oppression they faced.

The poet emphasises how we often celebrate our national or cultural history, without looking at the history and culture of those we historically oppressed.

The main themes of the poem include Identity, Pride, Power and Anger.

In the following questions, you will be asked about how these themes develop throughout the poem.

You should always refer to your own text when working through these examples. These quotations are for reference only.