You’re going to want to buckle up for today’s conversation with author and activist Esuantsiwa (Esua) Jane Goldsmith, whose book The Space Between Black and White is out now. She and Brad had a conversation unlike anything else that’s happened in the Jam Bunker.
With family in both the United Kingdom and (she would find much later) Ghana, they touched a bit on Esau’s story (spoiler: she’s been breaking barriers in her life since 1975!), but then they mused on the importance of conversations, the work it takes to get comfortable talking about race and class, intersectionality, and absolute joy of life even when everything around you is falling down.
About Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith (Esua)
Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith (Esua) was born in the UK and lives in London, and has family in the UK and Ghana. She grew up as Jane Goldsmith but now uses her Ghanaian name, Esuantsiwa.
In 1975, while studying at Leicester University, she became the first woman of colour to be elected President of Leicester University Students’ Union. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Leicester University in 2015, in recognition of her work in International Development and Human Rights. In March 2018, Leicester University unveiled a specially-commissioned portrait of Esuantsiwa, to celebrate International Women’s Day and the centenary of the women’s vote.
Esua was one of the first black VSO volunteers, serving as a teacher in Tanzania 1977-79 and later on their Board of Trustees representing returned volunteers.
In 1995, Esua founded Anona Development Consultancy to work in the not-for-profit sector as an energiser and motivator, offering management development consultancy, facilitation, training, team-building and strategy development. Her clients number over 100 different organisations on five different continents. Her clients include FORWARD, European Women’s Lobby, Womankind, Oxfam, ActionAid, Wateraid, Women’s Aid, The Commonwealth Foundation, Women’s Budget group, Comic Relief and DFID.
Esua was a leading figure in the UN process for women, attending the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995, as a member of the UK Government Delegation representing Development INGOs. She was founder and Chair of the Beijing Forum which co-ordinated the input of UK development NGOs and activists 1994-6. She also attended the Nairobi Forum at the UN Third World Conference on Women in 1985, the Beijing + 5 Conference in New York, and the Commission on the Status of Women.
Esua was Commissioner for the Women’s National Commission (Public Appointment), leading their Strategy and chairing their diversity group. She was the first black woman Chair of the Fawcett Society, Chair and Co-founder of the Gender and Development Network, Founder member of staff at Womankind, Vice Chair of ActionAid UK, Trustee of VSO, Trustee of the Equality and Diversity Forum, a member of the Board of Directors of Akina Mama Wa Africa, and Ambassador for the Women’s Resource Centre.
In 2009 Esua was appointed Queen Mother of Development of her village in Ghana, fundraising for bathrooms, street lighting and school buildings in her village near Cape Coast.
Esua’s prizewinning mixed-race memoir, The Space Between Black and White, is published by Jacaranda Books, March 2020, #twentyin2020. Available from all major booksellers. Audio version available from Audible. e-book version available on Kindle.
