Mary Seacole statue vandalised in ‘disgraceful act of vandalism’
Posted 14 August 2024 - 13:47
Statue of Mary Seacole outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London is defaced by vandals. A crowdfunding appeal has been set up to help pay for its restoration
An MP has condemned the attack on the statue of iconic nurse Mary Seacole as a disgraceful act of vandalism.
The slate monument commemorating the 19th century Jamaican-born nurse outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London was defaced with orange and white paint.
Police were called to the hospital grounds shortly before 9am on Tuesday after receiving reports of the damage.
Mrs Seacole’s legacy as a nursing pioneer who overcame racism and discrimination to care for soldiers during the Crimean War gained prominence in recent years.
Her statue, unveiled in 2016, was the first in the UK to honour a named black woman and was the result of more than a decade of fundraising by campaigners, including nurses.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said officers are not treating the incident as racially motivated.
MP appeals for support for statue clean-up appeal
Labour MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Florence Eshalomi urged wellwishers to donate to a JustGiving fundraising page to help with the clean-up.
She posted on X: ‘This is a disgraceful act of vandalism, after so much work to ensure Mary Seacole’s legacy is honoured.’
Someone who hates the example Jamaican-born Mary Seacole set for compassion in nursing, who despises the way she made British servicemen’s lives a bit more bearable during the Crimean War, has defaced the statue to her memory outside St Thomas’s. @DavidHarewood @holland_tom pic.twitter.com/1wc0a4QQ13
— Jamie Muir (@jamiembrixton) August 13, 2024
Video clip: Jamie Muir/X
Seacole statue stands as a symbol of diversity in the UK and the NHS
Mary Seacole Trust chair Trevor Sterling pledged the statue would be restored.
He said: ‘Mary Seacole is a symbol of the NHS, diversity and social justice, and her contributions were of real value to this country.’
RCN general secretary Nicola Ranger said: ‘Mary Seacole is a nursing icon whose dedication to the care of others continues to inspire our profession today.
‘As the first statue of a named black woman in the UK, it symbolises not only Mary’s immense contribution to nursing but also the contribution of people from minoritised ethnic communities.’
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