Black History Month: Mary Seacole

To celebrate Black History Month, FWN are publishing a series of articles on inspiring black women from History. Our Chair, Marianna Masters, writes about Mary Seacole

On my many trips to St Thomas’s Hospital as a former Public Governor for Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, I would pass the statue of Mary Seacole. She stands tall, striding forward into the wind, just outside the building where so many lives are cared for. I often paused—not just to admire the sculpture, but to reflect on the woman it honours. That moment of quiet pride stayed with me.

Mary Seacole’s story is one I return to often. Born in Jamaica in 1805, she was a healer, a businesswoman, and a trailblazer. When she applied to join Florence Nightingale’s nursing corps during the Crimean War, she was rejected most likely because of her race. But she didn’t let that stop her. She funded her own journey to the frontlines, set up the British Hotel near Balaclava, and cared for wounded soldiers with skill, compassion, and courage.

They called her “Mother Seacole.” She was more than a nurse, she was a source of comfort and hope. Dressed in a bright gown and bonnet, she moved through the chaos of war with bandages, medicines, and words of reassurance. Her presence reminded soldiers of home, of humanity, of care that went beyond duty.

Mary Seacole didn’t wait for permission to lead. She saw a need and stepped in. She wrote her own memoir, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands, claiming her story in her own voice. That act alone was radical—a Black woman in Victorian Britain documenting her life and work, refusing to be forgotten.

Her legacy lives on in the NHS, in the diversity of our nursing and midwifery professions, and in every act of care that centres dignity and justice. She reminds us that Black women in Britain have always been at the heart of public service, even when history tried to write them out.

As Paulette Hamilton MP said:

“This month, we honour the past that guides us and the power that drives us forward. Our strength is our story. Our progress is our promise.”

I believe the future begins by confronting the truths of the past. Mary Seacole’s legacy urges us to ask: Whose stories are still missing? Whose contributions have been overlooked? And how do we build a world where every voice is heard and valued?

This Black History Month, under the theme “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” I’m celebrating Mary Seacole’s courage, resilience, and leadership. She stood firm in the face of exclusion. She led with compassion. And she left behind a legacy that still inspires.

We remember her not just for what she did—but for what she stood for: the right to belong, to lead, and to be seen.