Mary Seacole Statue in London, England

The 2016 statue commemorating Mary Seacole at St. Thomas Hospital in London is the first statue in the United Kingdom dedicated to a named black woman. Mary Seacole is remembered for her involvement as a nurse in the Crimean War. However, some argue that her figure has been mythologised and she should not get such a prominent statue. This case study analyses the controversies provoked by the monument and her figure and how it came to be with the involvement of governmental support and grassroots advocacy.