Constance Winifred McDonald, born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1923. Constance was just 16 when the Second World War erupted. By the age of 21, she had joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in Jamaica, serving as a medical secretary and documenting soldiers’ injuries.
Her journey into activism began with a dispute over pay, sparked by the discrimination she experienced within the ATS. Despite being promoted twice within a year, she never received a pay raise, which she believed was due to racial bias. She fought for what she considered owed back pay, though her efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
Denied a British Empire Medal after the war, Constance believed her refusal stemmed from her decision not to clean British officers’ quarters during her ATS service. It wasn’t until 1992 that she was finally awarded the medal.
After moving to the UK in 1949 with her husband, cricketer Stanley Goodridge, Mark’s activism flourished. She joined the West Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Association, advocating for recognition of wartime contributions, particularly those of Black women. Mark also championed the legacy of Mary Seacole, a Jamaican-born British nurse from the Crimean War era. Her efforts led to the establishment of a memorial for Seacole and a government bursary in her name, providing £25,000 annually for nursing studies.
Until her health prevented it, Mark honored her wartime comrades by participating in Remembrance Day parades each year. She passed away in London in 2007 at the age of 83.
