28,748 + support Mary Seacole petition

In just over a week, nearly 30,000 individuals across the UK and a few worldwide have signed the petition to ensure that the great Black Briton Mary Seacole stay on the national Curriculum.

John Coventry from Change.org, where the petition is hosted, said:

The numbers and reach of this petition is truly remarkable. What’s fascinating about a petition such as this is that ordinary people are seeking to make their voices heard.

Others too, have rallied to offer support. The highly acclaimed Bishop John Sentamu dedicated part of his Sunday service to pay tribute to Seacole.

Last week I spoke of the wise men, setting off on an adventure that changed their lives. Mary Seacole was another brave, enterprising person who was willing to take risks in order to offer her skills of care and healing. Let us continue to give thanks for those who hear the call of adventure and share their gifts with us all.

Sentamu now joins a long list of significant figures calling on the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove to rethink his plans to remove Seacole and Equiano from the national Curriculum, including Rev Jesse Jackson, Zadie Smith, Andrea Levy, Baroness Floella Benjamin, Baroness Patricia Scotland, and Diane Abbott.

Michael Gove has yet to make up his mind over the issue, but we hope he is listening.

The case at the moment is that teaching Mary Seacole and Olaudah Equiano is not mandatory in any school within the UK. Both are in the ‘Notes’ or annex to the National Curriculum. They allow a teacher teaching either the Victorian era or slavery to bring in Seacole or Equiano to enrich the class discussion. Because of where they are placed –non mandatory-not every child will know about these two great Britons. However, if they are removed completely even less children will learn about their great endeavours, how, for example, Equiano’s autobiography and campaigning would significantly influence the abolitionists’ movement.

160 years ago 80,000 Britons came out in support of Seacole, given back then there was no internet or mobile phones, this was a truly remarkable number of supporters. It would be a fitting symbol if, in the days and weeks ahead we could garner a similar level of support.

Simon Woolley