A public open space in Coleridge ward has officially been named to commemorate the life and achievements of a trailblazing academic, at a community-led ceremony.
Gloria Carpenter is believed to be the first Black woman to have received a degree from the University of Cambridge, having studied Law at Girton College and qualifying as a barrister in the 1940s.
She later went on to become a prominent social reformer in Jamaica, where she was born – helping to establish the Law faculty at the University of the West Indies, becoming a leader in women’s education and working to improve family courts and the rights of children.
At the ceremony on Thursday 11 December, Gloria’s daughter Pat Cumper – herself a graduate of Girton College and a celebrated writer, playwright, theatre producer and director – was joined by guests including the Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Dinah Pounds and members of the local community for a special ceremony.
Following speeches to commemorate Gloria’s life and legacy, a new information board was unveiled to mark the official inauguration of the Gloria Carpenter Pocket Park, an open space located off Rustat Road at the end of Davy Road.
The project to honour Gloria Carpenter in this way was instigated by Coleridge ward councillor and Cabinet Member for Communities, Anna Smith, along with local residents, and brought about through Cambridge City Council’s Environmental Improvement Programme, which provided the opportunity to suggest projects to improve the city’s parks and recreation grounds, landscaped areas, small open spaces and roadside verges.
Pat Cumper said: “It means a great deal to our family that my mother’s name will be part of the Cambridge landscape. She cherished her time here, and I’m thrilled that her contributions to education and social justice are being recognised in this way.
“My mother believed deeply in opening doors for others. I’m honoured to help unveil a space that will keep her story alive and may inspire future generations.”
Cllr Anna Smith, Coleridge ward councillor and Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “There are far too few places in Cambridge which celebrate women, and especially Black women – and that means too many eminent people, like Gloria Carpenter, going unrecognised.
“It’s been a privilege to work with Gloria’s family and the local community in Coleridge to find out more about this remarkable woman and her achievements. More people should know about Gloria – the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Cambridge, who did so much to improve the lives of marginalised women and children in her subsequent legal and academic career.
“Residents felt it was important that the new public space recognised a contribution to history rooted in education, equality and social reform, in contrast to slave trader Tobias Rustat, after whom the surrounding streets are named. So it is wonderful to think that this newly-named open space, which can be enjoyed by everyone, is commemorating a woman who worked so successfully to bring communities together, enact long-lasting social change and overcome prejudice.”
