tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post3538955061073950465..comments2024-03-23T12:38:46.260+00:00Comments on The History Girls: 'Mary Seacole and the Black and White of History' by A L BerridgeMary Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-65398424500640623302012-10-24T18:37:01.812+01:002012-10-24T18:37:01.812+01:00Thanks, Booka Uhu. I do know what you mean about t...Thanks, Booka Uhu. I do know what you mean about the BBC link, though I suspect as a history buff I'm sometimes guilty of the same kind of thing. Whatever historical period I'm writing about tends to become my passion, and I get into a campaigning frenzy that it should be equally important to EVERYONE. It's easy to let that blind me to the bigger picture.<br /><br />I guess the question is - who should determine that bigger picture? Because you're right, schoolchildren shouldn't be expected to know everything, and with less and less time given to history these days it's increasingly important to prioritise.<br /><br />Elbow Disraeli, that's what I say! And worst of all, those wretched Corn Laws....alberridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15986443240923520466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-71575253082106052492012-10-22T22:07:30.394+01:002012-10-22T22:07:30.394+01:00Oops, - slight dodo moment, I thought Douglass was...Oops, - slight dodo moment, I thought Douglass was English! Pardon my dodgy memory :)<br /><br />To be honest, the BBC link left a bad taste in my mouth - everyone seems to forget that there is no part of History that is more important than others to everyone, and that oddly enough, there actually isn't time in a schoolchild's life to cover everything absolutely. I'm not entirely sure Empire even has that much of a part in school History nowadays anyway - aren't we still stuck on WW2, Russia and Disraeli? All I know is, I came over here a few hours later and instantly felt much more settled on the subject than I had done after the BBC article - a very intelligent look at racism and what it actually IS today, compared to before. <br /><br />I very much admire Douglass and now Seacole's (thank you!) attitudes. I think I may have to go and download Seacole from Gutenberg now. Thanks for filling my head with something new and worthwhile!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01821766209132805208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-84387302309358117812012-10-21T02:00:44.250+01:002012-10-21T02:00:44.250+01:00Thank you so much, BooKa Uhu - and great name!
Bri...Thank you so much, BooKa Uhu - and great name!<br />Brilliant to think of Douglass too. The American experience is obviously very different, but he sounds to have been very much in Seacole's mould - especially in his 'I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong', which is the same kind of idea of brotherhood. Arguably, given how much worse his life would have been, this shows an even greater spirit of forgiveness.<br /><br />Interesting BBC link too - thanks for that. You have given me much to mull...alberridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15986443240923520466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-82700071151081127422012-10-21T01:18:46.288+01:002012-10-21T01:18:46.288+01:00Fascinating post - I always did wonder why Othello...Fascinating post - I always did wonder why Othello was so highly regarded, if Shakespeare's time was supposed to be so unenlightened. I need to revisit my account of Frederick Douglass - if I remember right, he was a freed slave in the 1800's...? Sieve-like memory, but I'm pretty sure that was his name.<br /><br />Interesting how nowadays we're so sensitive to and careful of racism, and yet as you've pointed out, we could instead have actually regressed from less racist times, rather than progressed. I like Mary's attitude of surprise that her race may have come into a decision, that she just hadn't considered race as a divisive factor. I do wonder how many people would naturally have that viewpoint too today, if we hadn't 'progressed' our ways of thinking about race since her time.<br /><br />Interesting contrast to this article I read over at the BBC too http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20005342 - I think yours gets across the idea of racism in schools and History far better.<br /><br />Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01821766209132805208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-68597718645455922742012-10-20T14:00:03.891+01:002012-10-20T14:00:03.891+01:00Good to hear that, after the pasting we got on Hav...Good to hear that, after the pasting we got on Have I Got News for You last night and The News Quiz this morning!:)Theresa Breslinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02240135723649161949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-73619359935952398292012-10-20T12:45:18.350+01:002012-10-20T12:45:18.350+01:00Ah, she had some guts, this lady - and isn't i...Ah, she had some guts, this lady - and isn't it strange it should have been women in each case?<br /><br />Not that it should surprise us with Mary. Her father was Scottish, and she always used to say she had 'good Scots blood in her veins'...alberridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15986443240923520466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-54703403959741556412012-10-20T12:44:02.156+01:002012-10-20T12:44:02.156+01:00Lovely post, Louise, thank you.Lovely post, Louise, thank you.Mark Burgessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-8818500235719175712012-10-20T12:28:08.143+01:002012-10-20T12:28:08.143+01:00Great post - Love your pic caption "Rosa Park...Great post - Love your pic caption "Rosa Parks of 1852?"Theresa Breslinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02240135723649161949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-87360410272468200822012-10-20T11:47:10.724+01:002012-10-20T11:47:10.724+01:00Thanks, Joan! You're so right about the Victor...Thanks, Joan! You're so right about the Victorians - I never knew a period so slippery. Sometimes I think we just forget how long the reign was, and how different those at the beginning would have been in 1901. If we were talking the 'Second Elizabethan' period, there'd be a huge difference between the lives and attitudes of the 1950s and 2012...<br /><br />Thank you too, Susan. Yes, I would hate to have to choose between these women - and have really tried to fudge the issue here! But as you say, Mary was much warmer and more approachable, and to read her book is simply to love her.<br /><br />And thank you, Anonymous, for the link to the appeal. The location sounds perfect, and I love both the design and the idea of her facing Big Ben and 'marching towards the river' like a wind of resistance. Brilliant.<br /><br />I should also mention for everyone that the appeal is still short of its target, and now would be a wonderful time to celebrate Black History Month by paying homage to our greatest Black Briton....alberridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15986443240923520466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-37633902021705807822012-10-20T11:25:47.071+01:002012-10-20T11:25:47.071+01:00Thanks 'alberridge' for mention of the Mar...Thanks 'alberridge' for mention of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal which will be located in the gardens of St Thomas' hospital across the river from the Houses of Parliament. The chosen artist is Martin Jennings, internationally renowned sculptor - see for example his magnificent statue of the poet Sir John Betjeman at London's St Pancras Station. For more details visit http://www.maryseacoleappeal.org.uk. We are also on Twitter: @seacolestatueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-34092205619408354182012-10-20T10:54:58.842+01:002012-10-20T10:54:58.842+01:00Thank you for a fascinating post. I admire the str...Thank you for a fascinating post. I admire the strength and heroine-ism of both Seacole and Nightingale so much, it would be hard to say which I admire more - but Mary was certainly the warmer and more approachable personality. I think that degree of warm humanity combined with such drive, independence and determination is quite rare.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-76621771342087990462012-10-20T09:48:03.865+01:002012-10-20T09:48:03.865+01:00Fascinating - so often we act as if the Victorians...Fascinating - so often we act as if the Victorians were simple stereotypes, when the truth is so much richer!Joan Lennonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763862159032836768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-83092508319701749402012-10-20T08:13:04.017+01:002012-10-20T08:13:04.017+01:00Hi, Angelica, and thanks for commenting. You'r...Hi, Angelica, and thanks for commenting. You're right, it's extraordinary she stayed obscure for so long, but she's much better known in Britain now. There's an appeal trying to raise money for a statue to her on the South Bank, and they've already raised £150,000.<br /><br />Hey, Sue! *waves*<br />Yes, it's odd the way patterns of racism change. I'd want to see more memoirs than just Mary's, but it really does look as if we deteriorated in the 20th century. Maybe higher immigration, or maybe the closer cultural links with America?<br /><br />Thanks for coming by, Ms, and I do hope you enjoy the book.Thanks for posting the link too - I had no idea it was on Gutenberg.alberridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15986443240923520466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-74188995434855227462012-10-20T04:16:01.627+01:002012-10-20T04:16:01.627+01:00What a fine Pist. Thanks. and here is the URL for ...What a fine Pist. Thanks. and here is the URL for her book at Gutenberg:<br />http://www.gutenberg.org/files/23031/23031-h/23031-h.htmMs.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09479767121319709878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-15346986762330005182012-10-20T02:46:00.447+01:002012-10-20T02:46:00.447+01:00I had heard of her, though not recently. Interesti...I had heard of her, though not recently. Interesting what you say, that racism might be worse now than it was then.<br /><br /> I have gone and downloaded her book from Project Gutenberg, many thanks for this!Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5502671101756463249.post-48548260696574962222012-10-20T01:21:43.491+01:002012-10-20T01:21:43.491+01:00I ran into Mary Seacole's book while researchi...I ran into Mary Seacole's book while researching for a mixed race character in my first novel. I also was astonished that it seems only scholars have heard of her--she has a story worth telling to us all!Angelica R. Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09448717076699744259noreply@blogger.com