Fill Your Feeds
#AutisticBIPOC Advocates
There is SO much to say about the complexities of autistic life as a person of colour (like this). Here are some of our most respected advocates. Follow them, fill your feeds, and receive the knowledge and wisdom they so generously offer.
Morénike Giwa Onaiwu
@MorenikeGO
Autistic, Typing
@AutisticTyping
Kayla Smith
Black Autistic Disability Justice Advocate. Creator of #AutisticBlackPride.
@BeingKaylaSmith
Tiffany Hammond
Autistic mother, advocate, and storyteller using her personal experiences with Autism and parenting two Autistic boys to guide others.
@fidgets.and.fries
Melissa Simmonds
Educating children and schools about autism. Empowering BAME autistics on neurodiversity.
@Mis_TAught
Kerima Cevik
Blogger for disabilty rights, autistic inclusion, accommodation, communication rights, and representation.
Creator of #AutisticWhileBlack.
@ kerima_cevik
Anita Cameron
Black autistic lesbian, writer, and cat lover. Director of Minority Outreach for Not Dead Yet.
@adaptanita
Lydia X. Z. Brown
Writer, public speaker, educator, trainer, consultant, advocate, community organizer, community builder, activist, scholar, and attorney.
@autistichoya
Lauren Melissa Ellzey
Educator, speaker, author,
and autistic self-advocate.
@autienelle
Asiatu Lawoyin
Intersectional autistic coach with Asiatu “Coach” Lawoyin Empowerment Services
@asiatu.coach
Talisha ‘Tee Cee’ Johnson
Filmmaker, TV Show Developer, Presenter & Writer-Director
@thisisteecee
Lauren-Rochelle Fernandez
Activist, Advocate, & Ambassador for Neurodiversity providing Mask Off.
@maskoffcic
Zekwande Mathenjwa
Founder of The Zekwande Foundation working to champion projects for autistic nonspeakers.
@AutisticSpeak
Niki Awesome
Autistic Vlogger + Traveler + Explorer. Host of The Awesome With Autism Show.
@theawesomewithautismshow
Pastiche Graham
Writer & Autistic Advocate.
@pastiche_graham
Sandra Coral
A neurodivergent-affirming, non-blaming, mind-body therapeutic approach to coaching.
@nd.narratives
Ayanna Davis
Autism advocate, artist, author, actor.
@Phenomautistic
Anand Prahlad
Speaker. Poet. Musician. Folklorist. Scholar. Neurodiversity, autism and disabilities advocate.
@theanandprahlad
MELANIN MELANIN MELANIN
Conversations
I’ve chosen these conversations below as a primer on our experiences as members of the autistic global majority. None of the advocates here claim to speak for all peoples nor do I. We’re offering insight into lives that have historically been marginalized, diminished, and erased. Consider reaching out (links above) to give these advocates their flowers.
Looking at the Cultural Perspective of Autism
with Melissa Simmonds & Tyla Grant
A 90-min talk hosted by Marguerite Haye
WATCH ON VIMEO
Autistic Mother’s Perspective
with Jackie Pilgrim
An hour-long interview with autistic self-advocate and parent Jackie Pilgrim.
WATCH ON YOUTUBE
African-Americans With Autism Face Additional Challenges
A 4-minute interview on NPR with late-identified autistic self-advocate and parent Jackie Pilgrim.
ListenTHE MORE YOU KNOW
Perspectives
I give you two perspectives — mine from the inside and the venerable Steve Silberman’s from the outside — on being #AutisticWhileBlack.
The Persistent Invisibility of Black Autism
Take a stroll through the history of autism and the exclusion of Black people therein with Neurotribes author Steve Silberman.
Read
By Diane J. Wright
#AutisticBIPoC experience arguably higher levels of exclusion, aggression, and inequality within our own autistic spaces.
Here’s what it’s really like.
AUTASTIC ADVOCACY
Interviews
Below, find a selection of interviews I’ve given on the topic of living in our skin and inside our varied individual and cultural experiences.
THE STOOP
Episode 60
"We explore what it’s like to be a Black autistic adult with the story of artist, author, and illustrator Ayanna Davis, AKA ‘Phenomenally Autistic.’ We also hear from advocate and autism media consultant Diane J. Wright, plus special education professor Dr. Jamie Pearson breaks down why Black autistic people are diagnosed so late in life."
THE PARITY PROECT
"In this episode we speak with Diane J. Wright, the founder of Autastic.com. Home to the world’s largest online community of late-identified autistic adults, two of the only spaces dedicated to people of color with autism, and the only community of its size for people with autism that’s founded by a woman of color."
#AutisticBIPOC Community
Hashtags
These may help you connect with your communites across social media:
#AutisticWhileBlack
#AutisticAndIndigenous
#AutisticAAPI
#AutisticMENA
#AutisticSWANA
#AutisticLatinX
#AutisticAndMixed
#AutisticBIPoC
#AutisticPOC
#autizzy
#AutisticBAME
#AutisticBlackLivesMatter
BOOKS MOVIES & MORE
Media #ByUsForUs
These resources are maintained by me which means they’re updated but infrequently. Want to get on the lists? Message me!
#AutisticBIPOC YouTube
For even more perspectives, see our ever-growing #AutisticBIPOC YouTube playlist. Subscribe to your faves!
Watch
Autistic BIPOC Authors
Looking for titles by writers who share your culture, melanin, and/or heritage?
Dig into these and find more on our great big Goodreads list!
