With Black History Month just gone, it’s more important than ever to shine a light on the inspiring work of Black scientists of both past and present.
Let’s go back into the past to focus on a brilliant lady you may know from the catchy Horrible Histories song: Mary Seacole (1805-1881).
Mary’s legacy has long been overshadowed by that of Florence Nightingale, having both been working at the same time and place. However, comparing Mary Seacole to someone who had more opportunity and rights than her is unfair.
Born in Jamaica, Seacole practised nursing with hygienic practices and West African medicine learned from her mother. Seacole set up the ‘British Hotel’, where wounded soldiers were treated, during the Crimean war after being rejected from nursing with the War Office. She was even known to treat people directly on the battlefield, risking her life for the benefit of others. It has been suggested that she was the first nurse practitioner in history, trailblazing the field for so many future generations and being of endless inspiration.
Dame Elizabeth Anionwu (1947-)
Anionwu was named the UK’s first Thalassemia and Sickle-cell specialist in 1979, and helped with the start up of the Thalassaemia Counselling centre and the Brent Sickle centre. Anionwu worked with Black and minority ethnic groups throughout her nursing career, wanting to ensure these communities were valued rather than regarded as problems.
Inspired by our previous scientist, Anionwu also set up the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice in 1998.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE (1968-)
Aderin-Pocock, a space scientist and science communicator, grew up longing to ‘visit the Clangers’, looking out from her council house in London through her subpar telescope. Of course, this goal was, unfortunately, impossible but this did not deter her from wanting to see space more clearly. Maggie learned how to build and design telescopes herself to a level where, eventually, she worked on projects including the James Webb space telescope.
Aderin-Pocock also brings her love of space into classrooms around the country, endeavouring to teach children to explore and question the universe. She can also be found on the BBC’s The Sky at Night, explaining the ins and outs of the space around us.
These three Black women have done, and continue to do, incredible things within science. However, we still see so few Black scientists today. We have 10,560 science professors in the UK and only 65 of those are Black (according to The Royal Society). These are the people who will be choosing the next generation of scientists.
It is evident that something needs to be done. Change needs to be made within the university system, and the education system as a whole, to solve this clear disparity between Black academics and the population of Black people in the UK.
