Tammy Johnson
Tammy Johnson
Onye Ozi, Facilitator
Tammy Johnson is very clear. Her life’s purpose is to be a happy Black woman. Some days that shows up as a shimmy in the middle of a workshop on racial equity, and on others it is simply a pause for breath. Johnson is a dancer, producer, culture keeper, writer, 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 has partnered with World Trust and Art / Work Practice, and 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 and project managed the Creatives in Place 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 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 the award-winning duet, Raks Africa, and co-directed Girls Raks Bellydance and Body Image program. In 2016 Johnson was a recipient of Deborah Slater’s Studio 210 Residency Program. She has also performed in ChimaTEK: Hybridity Visualization Mandala, created by renowned performance visual artists Saya Woolfalk. She coproduced the 2014-2016 Resistance and Revolution series and her solo work, Aiwa! was featured in the 2017 Live Arts in Resistance at Eastside Arts Alliance. Her production company, Project Aiwa, produces performances, workshops and community-based collaborations based on the belief that there can be no true social revolution without personal and collective healing.
The Oakland, California based Johnson stays true to her path by embracing work that gives her joy. More can be found at tjuniverse.com
