Last month I included a poem set in the classroom, seen from the point of view of the teacher. This month’s poem is rather different. John Agard was born in what was then British Guiana in 1949 and moved to Britain in 1977. His poem draws on his experiences in school, learning history that was all about white English people, some from real life and some from legend. So, he knows about Robin Hood and Dick Whittington, Lord Nelson, Florence Nightingale and Columbus. Nobody tells him the stories of Mary Seacole (1805 – 1881) who was voted ‘Greatest Black Briton’ in a 2003 poll. She was a nurse and writer and today there is a statue of her at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital. Nor was he told about Toussaint L’Ouverture (1743 – 1803), a Haitian general and revolutionary who led slave rebellions and is now known as one of the ‘Fathers of Haiti’. And nobody ever mentioned Nanny of the Maroons (1686 – 1733) who led a group of people who had been slaves against the British authorities in Jamaica. His voice is powerful with all the loss of not being told these things about those with whom he could identify.
Checking out me History by John Agard
Dem tell me
Dem tell me
Wha dem want to tell me
Bandage up me eye with me own history
Blind me to my own identity
Dem tell me bout 1066 and all dat
dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat
But Touissant L’Ouverture
no dem never tell me bout dat
Toussaint
a slave
with vision
lick back
Napoleon
battalion
and first Black
Republic born
Toussaint de thorn
to de French
Toussaint de beacon
of de Haitian Revolution
Dem tell me bout de man who discover de balloon
and de cow who jump over de moon
Dem tell me bout de dish run away with de spoon
but dem never tell me bout Nanny de maroon
Nanny
see-far woman
of mountain dream
fire-woman struggle
hopeful stream
to freedom river
Dem tell me bout Lord Nelson and Waterloo
but dem never tell me bout Shaka de great Zulu
Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492
but what happen to de Caribs and de Arawaks too
Dem tell me bout Florence Nightingale and she lamp
and how Robin Hood used to camp
Dem tell me bout ole King Cole was a merry ole soul
but dem never tell me bout Mary Seacole
From Jamaica
she travel far
to the Crimean War
she volunteer to go
and even when de British said no
she still brave the Russian snow
a healing star
among the wounded
a yellow sunrise
to the dying
Dem tell me
Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me
But now I checking out me own history
I carving out me identity
The poem discusses what faceless and nameless authorities have decided school pupils should study, regardless of their race or backgrounds. He feels he has been blinded to his own heritage, but the poem ends on a hopeful note, with the poet insisting that by checking out his own history, he is carving out his identity. It is a poem full of energy and urgency, it’s about roots and identity and what history means to each of us personally.
John Agard is a poet, playwright and short story writer who has written many works for young adults. He’s an exuberant performer of his own poetry and you can watch him reciting this poem here:
Have you enjoyed this poem? I’d love to know what you think, let me know by leaving a comment.
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John
I certainly like the idea of the poem. It made me wonder about exceptions. I would guess that Americans learn about Geronimo, Cochise, Sitting Bull and a few others. They should learn about Frederick Douglass but I am not sure whether they do. They surely learn about Martin Luther King, for whom they have an annual holiday, perhaps also some of his contemporaries.
In Australia, we certainly knew of Bennelong as I grew up, probably not Barangaroo though. The history was appallingly one-sided though. I read a 7-volume history of Australia from cover to cover and I could not figure out why the Eureka Rebellion was called the only approximation to civil war in Australia while the same set of books referred regularly to massacres of Aborigines and fights with them. So, even at the time, at. age about 11, I was confused.
So I thoroughly welcome the thoughts in the poem, but think there are at least a few caveats.
Helen Corish
What an incredible poem and how true are the sentiments expressed. Thank you so much, Susannah, for including this literary gem in your newsletter.
Susannah Fullerton
Isn’t it a fascainting poem. I first heard about it from the superb book ‘Reading Lessons’.
Anne Burns
I studied British History for the HSC. We were told the Australian Curriculum was boring and in fact I remember learning about European explorers and nothing about the indigenous and hardly anything about women. I am now trying to improve my knowledge and interested in all the forgotten people who contributed to this country as it is today.
Susannah Fullerton
I had the same experience in NZ. We learned little NZ history or literature. Poems like John Agard’s make you realise how one-sided it all was.