This event will take place in the British Library Knowledge Centre Pigott Theatre and is also available to watch online. Tickets may be booked to attend in person, or to watch on our platform either live or during the next 7 days on catch up. Viewing links for the online version will be sent out in the confirmation email you receive after booking.

Join us for an exciting panel on the role of black women in leadership. Our expert speakers will share insights on how black women lead at both the highest political levels and within local communities, challenging norms and driving transformative change. Drawing from their real-world experiences, they will discuss leadership styles, strategies, and the impact of their work.  
 
Don't miss this thought-provoking conversation celebrating black women as powerful agents of change!

Diane Abbott MP made history in 1987 as the first black woman elected to the British Parliament. Over her distinguished career, she has been a strong advocate for global justice, human rights, peace, and security. From 2015 to 2019, she held prominent roles in the Labour Party, including Shadow International Development Secretary, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, and Shadow Home Secretary. Her biography, A Woman Like Me, reflects her personal journey as the daughter of Windrush immigrants and her trailblazing career in British politics, earning her the title of 'Mother of the House.' 
 
Carole Boyce Davies is a professor of Africana Studies and Literatures in English at Cornell University, specializing in African Diaspora, Black feminist theories, and Black women’s writings. Her book, Black Women's Rights: Leadership and the Circularities of Power, examines leadership styles of women of African descent globally. She explores the leadership of figures such as Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Shirley Chisholm, Marielle Franco, and Mia Mottley, highlighting their contributions to new models of leadership, particularly in the Caribbean. Through these examples, she emphasizes the significance of Black women in shaping global and local political change. 
  
Jessica Horn is an East African feminist writer and practitioner. She pioneered the Futures initiative at the African Women’s Development Fund and became the first African woman to lead the Ford Foundation’s East Africa office. She co-founded Our Africa, a platform for African women’s voices on openDemocracy. She served as Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health and co-founded the African Feminist Forum. Her new book, African Feminist Praxis: Cartographies of Liberatory Worldmaking, explores African feminist principles, focusing on kinship, courage, pleasure, care, and memory. 
 
Fatimah Kelleher (Chair) is a feminist political economist and gender justice adviser with over 20 years of experience in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. A Nigerian and Black-British pan-African feminist, she is part of the Nawi Afrifem Macroeconomic Collective in Nairobi. Fatimah has authored research and articles for feminist organizations, UN agencies, think tanks, and media outlets like Feminist Africa, the Guardian, and openDemocracy. She serves on the boards of the International Association for Feminist Economists (IAFFE) and the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR), and is also a creative writer and poet. 

 

In association with SIDENSI

The SIDENSI initiative, founded by Professor Wangui wa Goro, promotes the importance of language, translation, and intercultural dialogue to transform society. It provides platforms for thought-leaders, translators, and cultural practitioners to bridge divides through translation and intercultural practices. Since 1986, SIDENSI has hosted workshops, training, and conferences worldwide, collaborating with platforms like Africa in Translation and the Translation Masterclass. Wangui wa Goro is a published author, translator, and Honorary Professor at SOAS. 

Reduced price tickets available for British Library Members, and half-price tickets for students, under 26 and other concession groups.  
  
The venue doors and bar will open at 18:00 and the Theatre at 18:45. If you are attending in person, please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event.

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