NAAFA Webinar Series: Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies with Jessica Wilson, Ifasina Clear, Larri Parms-Ford, Shana McDavis-Conway, and Chef Fresh Roberson

Saturday, March 2, 2024

10AM PT / 11aM MT / 12PM CT / 1PM ET

Duration: 90 minutes

Image Description: On a white background with light orange and blue shapes is the following text in dark gray, blue, and orange font: "NAAFA WEBINAR SERIES 2024. Rewriting the story of Black women's bodies. Saturday, March 2, 10am Pacific. Jessica Wilson (she/her), Ifasina Clear (them/him), Larri Parms-Ford (she/her), Shana McDavis-Conway (she/her), Chef Fresh Roberson (they/she). Free! For fat community and fat positive friends. Registration required. NAAFA.org/events Hosted by Tigress Osborn (she/her) ASL by Pro Bono ASL. Black and white photos of the guests and host are included along with the NAAFA logo.

In honor of Black History Month, Women's History Month, and Eating Disorders Awareness Week, join us for an important discussion of how narratives about the bodies of Black women and those perceived as women have been shaped in our culture, how that impacts daily life, and how we can create new stories that accurately reflect the broad and diverse realities of Black folks. Jessica Wilson, MS, RD is the author of It's Always Been Ours: Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies. She and host Tigress Osborn will be joined by four contributors to the book: Ifasina Clear, Larri Parms-Ford, Shana McDavis-Conway, and Chef Fresh Roberson. We will discuss intersections of fatness, Blackness, gender, and more.

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. To support this work and other NAAFA programming, make a donation today at naafa.org/give.

This event is presented via Zoom, in English, and with English auto-captions by Otter.ai. ASL Interpreting by Pro Bono ASL (@probonoasl).

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. Learn more at naafa.org.

GUEST Bios:

Image Description: Ifasina, a mahogany brown skinned genderqueer person with double strand twist, a gold septum piercing, and white ear gauges. They are wearing a brown fedora hat, white overlay with gold and gray flowers, over a white tank top. (Image description provided by guest.)

Ifasina Clear (them/him) is a fat, Black, genderqueer person from Texas living North Carolina. Ifasina is a Master Trainer and space holder who has over 20 years of experience working with intergenerational and directly impacted communities, groups, and teams to cultivate leadership, create supportive processes, and make decisions. Ifasina is passionate about the kind of work that allows them to support others in their leadership and brilliance. Follow them @get.embodied

Image Description: A headshot of Shana McDavis-Conway, a fat Black woman with medium-brown skin, and short tightly curled hair. (Image description provided by guest.)

Shana McDavis-Conway (she/her) is a nationally recognized social justice strategist who loves fat queer culture. Her writing can be found at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and Autostraddle. She is currently a Master of Social Work candidate at San Francisco State and winner of the Congressional Hunger Center’s 2017 National Leadership Award. Follow her @SaysShana

Image Description: A headshot of Larrolyn, a fat Black woman with dark skin. Wearing a black shirt, purple blazer, and purple flower crown. (Image description provided by guest.)

Larrolyn Parms-Ford (she/her), known to her friends as Larri, is a queer fat, black woman. She is currently employed as a Production Assistant at Lucasfilm, one of the world's leading entertainment companies, as well as at the Peter Pan Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to inspire children of all ages through music and theatre productions. Larri is a self-proclaimed "Disney Adult" and enjoys spending her evenings watching anime. Follow her @LarriMariola

Image Description: A headshot of Jessica Wilson, a Black woman with caramel-colored skin and dark curly hair framing her head. She is wearing an aqua sweater. (Image description provided by guest.)

Jessica Wilson, MS, RDN (she/her) is the co-creator of the Amplify Melanated Voices challenge that went viral in 2020. She is a clinical dietitian, consultant and author of the book It’s Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women’s Bodies. Her experiences navigating the dietetic fields as a Black, queer dietitian have been featured on ABC Prime Time News, public radio shows and in print media, including the New York Times, Bustle, and HuffPo UK and US. Follow her @jessicawilson.msrd

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