NAAFA’s Fall Virtual Brunch

Saturday, November 11, 2023

11AM PT / 12pM MT / 1PM CT / 2PM ET

Duration: 60 minutes

Image description: The background is a photo of autumn leaves and wood, the main text is in red and reads: Fall Virtual Brunch. The NAAFA logo in white is toward the top left corner and the Pro Bono ASL logo is in the bottom right corner. Headshots of Matt Simko, Tammy Johnson, and Danielle G are along the top in circles. The following text is in white and yellow from top to bottom: Hosted by Matt Simko. Performance by Tammy Johnson. Brunch demo by Danielle G. Bring Your Own Brunch & join us for a celebration of fat community. November 11th, 2023 11am Pacific. Register at naafa.org/events. ASL Interpreting by Pro Bono ASL.

On Saturday November 11, 2023, join NAAFA for an interactive Fall brunch-themed event filled with music, food, and fun! You bring your favorite brunch snacks and drinks. We’ll bring good times with a joyful hour of activities and performances hosted by TV personality Matthew Simko (@simkosays). We're thrilled to present performances by Tammy Johnson (@tammy.johnson.510), plus food blogger Danielle G (@Fashionably_Famished) is back again to share more brunch tips. Attire can be comfy and cozy or shiny and sparkly–you’ll be brunching from home so you decide!

NAAFA virtual events are for fat people and fat-positive folx of all sizes. Our virtual events are offered free of charge thanks to the generosity of our community of NAAFA donors.

This webinar is presented via Zoom, in English, and with English auto-captions by Otter.ai. ASL Interpreting by Pro Bono ASL.

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is a 501(c)3 charitable organization with a mission to change perceptions of fat and to end size discrimination through advocacy, education, and support. Our webinars are offered to the community free of charge thanks to the generosity of those who give to NAAFA. To support this and other NAAFA programming, visit naafa.org/give.

GUEST Bios:

Image Description: A headshot of Matthew Simko

Matthew Simko (he/him) is host and style expert appearing on television shows across the northeast for the last 10 years. He's been featured in the Guardian, Readers Digest, Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Boston Magazine. These days you can mostly find him on Instagram as SimkoSays posting photos, f'it check videos, and the occasional thirst trap. He believes that looking good and feeling good is for every body. Find Matt at mathew-simko.com or @simkosays.

Image Description: A headshot of Danielle G

Danielle G (she/her) of Fashionably Famished has been creating foodie and lifestyle content since 2018. Whether it is a blog post or video, she shares her honest opinion and provides insight on topics including casual style, food and restaurant reviews, and more recently, motherhood. Her content is meant to inspire and create community for fat folks to be seen dining and thriving.

Image Description (provided by guest): Dark brown, full figured Black woman stands in front of a grey-brown brick wall. She wears a black velvet t-shirt under a white cotton button-up shirt that is wide open. Her black locs, lay over then coming to her breast. She wears silver and red necklace, bracelet and earrings. Her lips are parted in a half smile, looking open and clear.

Tammy Johnson (she/her) is very clear. Her life’s purpose is to be a happy Black woman. She is a dancer, producer, culture keeper, writer, somatics coach, equity consultant and godmother extraordinaire. Her kinfolk in Tennessee taught her how to be a love-warrior as they fought for their right to just be as Black people. Later as a community organizer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Johnson directed living wage, welfare rights, public education and election campaigns. She spent a decade at Race Forward advancing racial justice as a national organizer, trainer, writer, policy analyst and public speaker. Johnson co-produced the television special Colorlines: Race and Economic Recovery with LinkTV, and has written for the Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post, and Colorlines.com.

Johnson curated creativesinplace.org, a listening project and digital platform which features the work and stories of Bay Area artists surviving gentrification and a global pandemic. As an independent consultant and certified somatic coach she has successfully brought movement and artistic wisdom to the fore with groups like The Laundromat Project and the Young Women’s Freedom Center.

Johnson specializes in raks baladi, also known as Egyptian style belly dance. For over a decade Johnson and Etang Inyang performed as Raks Africa, and co-directed Girls Raks Bellydance and Body Image program. In 2014 she performed in ChimaTEK: Hybridity Visualization Mandala, created by renowned performance visual artists Saya Woolfalk. In 2016 Johnson was a recipient of Deborah Slater’s Studio 210 Residency Program and is currently a Bridge Live Arts Community Engagement Resident. As the director of Project Aiwa, Johnson pours the experience of a twenty-year dance career into the performances and community-based collaborations that she produces.

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