Mary Seacole statue unveiled

now the world can see Britain's first statue of a named black woman Jamaican nurse Mary Seacole died in 1881 but this crowd today are applauding because they believe she still matters but who was Mary Seacole she was born in Jamaica to a Caribbean mother and Scottish father in 1805 as a nurse she traveled across the Caribbean Central America Britain and Europe but caring for others this is the first edition of her autobiography her fame arose in the 1850s for traveling alone to the Crimean War where she cared for British soldiers in the battlefield so many people of all backgrounds not just a mixed heritage who can identify with what Mary Seacole stood for you know she was 49 when she went out to the Crimean War and she wasn't sponsored she sought sponsorship didn't get it she didn't give up she used her entrepreneurial skills to raise funds to get out to the battlefield overlooking the Thames Mary Seacole now shares space with a mother of modern nursing Florence Nightingale her museum is here accent Thomas's hospital but a minor though vocal group have criticised the statue her achievements don't match florence Nightingale's they say the weight of history and this statue is cast in one ton of bronze seams on the side of Mary Seacole for now there were a very small number of rather strange voices it must be said who sought to make some kind of contest between Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole it's not a contest that anybody who was promoting this statue felt was necessary both of them performed very different roles to each other so there are now two nurses celebrated Accent Thomas's hospital the statue cost more than half a million pounds campaigners want Mary Seacole story to have a legacy that will last for generations Warren Ethel furred 5 News

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Keywords: News, Mary Seacole

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Length: 2min 7sec (127 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 30 2016