The 36,000 people who signed the Mary Seacole petition were thanked today. They were instrumental in securing victory after education secretary Michael Gove unveiled the new schools curriculum.
In addition, the number of MPs of all parties, who signed the Commons early day motion had climbed to 72 before yesterday’s announcement. A full list of MPs is included below.
When I set up the petition and pulled together a campaign group (Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote, Patrick Vernon, Prof Elizabeth Anionwu, Khi Rafe, Juliet Alexander and Zita Holbourne) a few short weeks ago I could not have imagined the impact that this campaign would make.
Although the victory was a cause of celebration yesterday we were disappointed that the new curriculum failed to include the teaching of Africa before Europeans arrived, and this is something we intend to continue to campaign for.
However we were pleased that the status of Seacole and Oladuah Equiano was raised from being in the notes to an established part of key stage 3 in the classrooms. In addition, the curriculum will also include the teaching of Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah and Britain’s retreat from Empire. Also the Windrush, the race relations laws, slavery and the role of the abolitionists will be taught.
As mentioned yesterday on this blog, the outcome is a clear victory for people power and reinforces faith in the power of campaigning, especially utilising the social media. Over 6,200 people commented about the issue on the petition site and it was shared on Facebook and Twitter many thousands of times.
Special thanks go to the campaign team, who all worked terrifically hard, and change.org who emailed and tweeted the petition. We garnered a very impressive amount of media coverage, bolstered by the huge numbers of people who signed the petition.
I am especially grateful to the 50+ public figures who signed the open letter to the Times newspaper – including Rev Jesse Jackson, playwright Kwame Kwei Armah, children’s writer Michael Rosen, author Zadie Smith, and broadcasters Bonnie Greer and Garth Crooks. Thanks also to everyone who tweeted support including MP Chuka Umunna, singer Beverley Knight, comedienne Angie le Mar and actor Adrian Lester.
The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, boosted the campaign further when he wrote about Seacole in his final Sun on Sunday column, and the former deputy prime minister John Prescott also wrote a fabulous article in his Sunday Mirror column. Finally, the intervention of the current deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who declared that Seacole would remain in the classrooms, was a significant development.
Final list of MPs who signed the Commons petition:
Bottomley, Peter Conservative Party Worthing West
Percy, Andrew Conservative Party Brigg and Goole
Williams, Stephen Liberal Democrats Bristol West
Leech, John Liberal Democrats Manchester Withington
Hancock, Mike Liberal Democrats Portsmouth South
Ward, David Liberal Democrats Bradford East
Horwood, Martin Liberal Democrats Cheltenham
Stunell, Andrew Liberal Democrats Hazel Grove
Farron, Tim Liberal Democrats Westmorland and Lonsdale
Reid, Alan Liberal Democrats Argyll and Bute
Williams, Mark Liberal Democrats Ceredigion
George, Andrew Liberal Democrats St Ives
Campbell, Menzies Liberal Democrats North East Fife
Thurso, John Liberal Democrats Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross
Harvey, Nick Liberal Democrats North Devon
Meale, Alan Labour Party Mansfield
Hopkins, Kelvin Labour Party Luton North
Abbott, Diane Labour Party Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Campbell, Ronnie Labour Party Blyth Valley
Bayley, Hugh Labour Party York Central
Sharma, Virendra Labour Party Ealing Southall
Rotheram, Steve Labour Party Liverpool Walton
Caton, Martin Labour Party Gower
Corbyn, Jeremy Labour Party Islington North
McGovern, Jim Labour Party Dundee West
Skinner, Dennis Labour Party Bolsover
Lazarowicz, Mark Labour Party Edinburgh North and Leith
McDonnell, John Labour Party Hayes and Harlington
Osborne, Sandra Labour Party Ayr Carrick and Cumnock
Cunningham, Tony Labour Party Workington
Gapes, Mike Labour Party Ilford South
Vaz, Valerie Labour Party Walsall South
Ruddock, Joan Labour Party Lewisham Deptford
Lammy, David Labour Party Tottenham
Flynn, Paul Labour Party Newport West
Wright, David Labour Party Telford
Glindon, Mary Labour Party North Tyneside
Reed, Steve Labour Party Croydon North
Love, Andrew Labour Party Edmonton
Mudie, George Labour Party Leeds East
Clwyd, Ann Labour Party Cynon Valley
Godsiff, Roger Labour Party Birmingham Hall Green
Vaz, Keith Labour Party Leicester East
Cunningham, Alex Labour Party Stockton North
Lavery, Ian Labour Party Wansbeck
Doran, Frank Labour Party Aberdeen North
Hood, Jim Labour Party Lanark and Hamilton East
Kaufman, Gerald Labour Party Manchester Gorton
Davidson, Ian Labour Party Glasgow South West
Francis, Hywel Labour Party Aberavon
Anderson, David Labour Party Blaydon
Havard, Dai Labour Party Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Owen, Albert Labour Party Ynys Môn
Clarke, Tom Labour Party Coatbridge Chryston and Bellshill
Walley, Joan Labour Party Stoke-on-Trent North
Roy, Lindsay Labour Party Glenrothes
Qureshi, Yasmin Labour Party Bolton South East
Clark, Katy Labour Party North Ayrshire and Arran
O’Donnell, Fiona Labour Party East Lothian
Barron, Kevin Labour Party Rother Valley
Glass, Pat Labour Party North West Durham
Hendrick, Mark Labour Party Preston
Goggins, Paul Labour Party Wythenshawe and Sale East
Mearns, Ian Labour Party Gateshead
Robertson, John Labour Party Glasgow North West
Benton, Joe Labour Party Bootle
Shannon, Jim Democratic Unionist Party Strangford
Simpson, David Democratic Unionist Party Upper Bann
Hermon, Lady INDEPENDENT North Down
Williams, Hywel Plaid Cymru Arfon
Galloway, George Respect Bradford West
McDonnell, Alasdair Social Democratic and Labour Party Belfast South
