Mary Seacole, a battlefield nurse during the Crimean war saw much bloodshed wounded soldiers during her service under the British monarchy. As she began to venture to strange lands after she volunteered to be a nurse for the war, she began to write about her story. During the war she worked under Florence Nightingale. 

“He was often at Spring Hill, with the most smiling of faces and in the most gorgeous of irregular uniforms, and never failed to praise my soups and dainties. I always flattered myself that I was his match, and with our West Indian dishes could of course beat him hollow, and more than once I challenged him to a trial of skill; but the gallant Frenchman only shrugged his shoulders, and disclaimed my challenge with many flourishes of his jewelled hands, declaring that Madame proposed a contest where victory would cost him his reputation for gallantry, and be more disastrous than defeat. And all because I was a woman, forsooth. What nonsense to talk like that, when I was doing the work of half a dozen men. Then he would laugh and declare that, when our campaigns were over, we would render rivalry impossible, by combining to open the first restaurant in Europe” (Seacole). 

     At this point in the passage we see Seacole comment on one of the French soldiers who she was around while stationed in Sebastopol. In reference to her cooking based on her origin she challenged the officer jokegly to try and match her cooking and her skills. However, as a woman challenging a man that was considered not appropriate for the 18th century. She was ahead of her time. She doesn’t fight in the war she fights to save lives, which made her position controversial. This theme of controversy is important because of how it affected Seacole. Instead of negatively causing her distress she took the comments made on her shoulder and continued her work despite the stereotypes. 

      As Seacole experienced racism for her origin and her work as a woman, it can connect to Will Smith’s matter. His wife Jada Pickett, has alopecia areata so she shaves her head. During her roles as GI Jane, her head was also shaved. Chris Rock, a comedian, makes a joke about her head and its correlation to her previous role. Will Smith stood up, took the joke to heart and felt a need to stand up for his wife out of respect for her. Seacole stood up to the comments by continuing her work. We the spectators of Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars have yet to see if he will continue his career as an actor. Seacole wrote about the nonsense and war she experienced and commented upon it with honesty and truth. Will Smith had the same fervor as Seacole in that matter. Will Smith faces the perpetuated stereotypes created from the slap.

    Details of these perpetuated stereotypes can also be found in propaganda.

Seacole, Mary.COVE. “Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands.” Cove Studio, James Blackwood, 1857, 

 studio.covecollective.org/anthologies/sp22-eng-l302-anthology/documents/wonderful-adventures-of-mrs-seacole-in-many-lands.

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