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Sarah Parker Remond (1826–1894), the amazing 19th century freedom fighter, intellectual and doctor has been honoured with a Nubian Jak plaque
Sarah Parker Remond (1826-1894) was an African American activist who became well known on her international abolitionist tours for her fiery speeches.
In 1853 she took successful legal action against a local theatre campaigning for desegregation long before the US Civil War or the Civil Rights movement. In 1858 she undertook the challenging journey, as a single black woman, to the United Kingdom and gave numerous anti -racist lectures to packed houses across England, Scotland and Ireland.
She studied at Bedford College, which later became Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, and then studied at what is now University College London. She lived around the corner from where Mary Seacole, a contemporary, wrote her first book. Sarah was also involved in British women's campaign to vote.
Sarah Parker Remond later moved to Florence, Italy, where she became a doctor at one of Europe's most prestigious medical schools and qualified as an obstetrician.
Speakers at the plaque unveiling include Martinique Lewis (President of the Black Travel Alliance), Margaret Busby (Author and First Black Female Publisher in the UK), Mathruni Viscan (Camden Council), Gloria Agyemang (Professor at Royal Holloway University), Michelle Yaa Asantewa (Author and Lecturer), Tony Warner (CEO of Black History Walks), Paul Gilroy (Professor at UCL and Founding Director of the Sarah Parker Remond Centre) and Jak Beula (CEO of Nubian Jak Community Trust).
The plaque is produced by Nubian Jak Commuinity Trust and sponsored by Black History Walks and Royal Holloway and Bedford New College. The plaque is opposite 1-6 Grenville Street, on the corner of Grenville Street and Brunswick Square WC1.
Plaque reads
Outer circle text
Nubian Jak Community Trust, Black History Walks, Royal Holloway University
Inner text
Sarah Parker Remond 1826-1894
African American abolitionist, lecturer, suffragist, polyglot, UCL & Bedford College graduate.
Lived at 6 Grenville Street, later became an Obsterician in Italy.
This event took place on 25 March 2022 and was organised by Black History Walks and Nubian Jak Community Trust in collaboration with the Sarah Parker Remond Centre.