News Events WATCH NOW: The Space Between Black and White: In Conversation with Esua Goldsmith Watch our lunchtime event with former Fawcett Chair Esua Goldsmith who discussed her new book with our Chief Exec, Sam Smethers, and current Chair, Fiona Mactaggart. Illuminating her inner journey growing up mixed-race in Britain, Esua Jane Goldsmith's unique memoir exposes the isolation and ambiguities that often come with being ‘an only’. Raised in 1950s South London and Norfolk with a white, working-class family, Esua’s education in racial politics was immediate and personal. From Britain and Scandinavia to Italy and Tanzania, she tackled inequality wherever she saw it, establishing an inspiring legacy in the Women’s lib and Black Power movements. Plagued by questions of her heritage and the inability to locate all pieces of herself, she embarks on a journey to Ghana to find the father who may have the answers. To buy your copy of Esua's book please follow this link. ESUANTSIWA JANE GOLDSMITH, AUTHOR Esuantsiwa (Esua) is a writer, feminist activist and development consultant of English – Ghanaian heritage. In 1975 she was the first woman of colour to be elected President of Leicester University Student’s Union, while in 2001 she became the first woman of colour to be elected Chair of the Fawcett Society. In 1977-9 Esua served as one of the first black volunteers to be sent on Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in Tanzania. During her career she has acted as Commissioner for the Women's National Commission, Chair and Co-Founder of the Gender and Development Network, Vice-Chair of ActionAid UK, a Trustee of the Equality and Diversity Forum and a member of the UK Government delegation to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. After reconnecting with her Ghanaian father and heritage in her 40s, she was enstooled as Queen Mother of Development of her village in Cape Coast, Ghana, in 2009. FIONA MACTAGGART, CHAIR, FAWCETT Fiona Mactaggart is a leading feminist campaigner and former Labour MP for Slough. She is a former Home Office Minister and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, and spent 20 years in parliament but stood down before the last election. Throughout her professional life she has campaigned to improve women’s lives and fight inequality and discrimination. Most notable is her work on Labour’s Older Women’s Commission and women’s representation, her campaigning to end violence against women and girls and her long-standing view that sex-buyers should be criminalised. SAM SMETHERS, CEO, FAWCETT Sam joined Fawcett in August 2015 as Chief Executive. Prior to Fawcett, she was the Chief Executive of Grandparents Plus for over six years. Sam is no stranger to equalities and gender issues having worked for both the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. She also served as a Fawcett trustee between 2007 and 2010, was a trustee of Gingerbread for seven years and has nine years’ experience working in Parliament. Sam is passionate about equal representation, valuing and sharing care and closing the gender pay gap. We try to keep our events free to ensure that as many people as possible can attend. This time we are asking you to consider making a donation Booking for this event has now closed. Manage Cookie Preferences