Letter of the Day | Mary Seacole statue vandalisation needs to condemned

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing with reference to the recent vandalisation of the Mary Seacole statue in the UK which we understand was a racist abuse. We, community tourism partners, wish to place on record that this should be publicly condemned.

We understand that the Met Office is investigating the vandalism of the statue outside the central London Hospital of Mary Seacole, a trailblazing 19th century Jamaica-born nurse.

Orange and red paint was thrown on the statue outside St Thomas’, while letters in white graffiti have been daubed across its plinth.

The Mary Seacole Trust said it believed the damage was racially motivated; however, the Met said it was not being treated as such, but enquiries were continuing.

Police officers went to the scene on Tuesday morning after receiving reports it had been vandalised. The force confirmed it had opened an investigation; however, no arrests have been made.

Trevor Stirling, the charity’s chair, said the memorial would be “cleaned and restored to its original design”. The memorial statue, which the trust raised money to install it in 2016, is thought to be the UK’s first to honour a named black woman.

Mary Seacole was a 19th-century British-Jamaican medical professional. Mary Seacole was and continues to be known especially for her tireless services and nursing of the wounded soldiers during the Crimean War.

Mary Seacole’s maiden name was Mary Jane Grant. She was born in 1805 in Kingston, Jamaica. She was born to a mixed-race couple. Her father was a Scottish soldier, while her mother was Jamaican.

During those times, Mary’s mother worked as a ‘healer’. She used the ancient Caribbean and African herbal medicines for treating sick people. Mary’s mother even ran a boarding house-like facility in order to take care of the sick.

Mary was known to particularly treat people suffering from yellow fever. For a few years, Mary stayed in the house of a rich elderly lady who looked after her. Mary fondly called this lady ‘kind patroness’.

It was during her stay with this elderly lady that Mary completed her education. She was also treated as a member of the patronesses’ family. Around 1821, Mary travelled to London. She stayed in London for almost a year. She utilised her time in London in learning about European medicines.

The next four years of her life, Mary made frequent visits to London and Jamaica. During her stay in London, she was introduced to the truth of racial bias in Victorian Society. In 1825, Mary returned to her native land, Jamaica.

By this time, the elderly lady who helped raise Mary was suffering from the ailment. Mary looked after the ill lady until her death. Mary felt similar racial prejudice when she was travelling to Panama in the year 1851.

DIANA MCINTYRE-PIKE