Black Autism in Emerging Media
In contrast to archives that focus on earlier periods, such as the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, contemporary alternative media sites offer more accessible representations of Black Autistic humanity; though research still requires the use of creative search terms.
The cultural contexts of these current sites also speak to the white-washed history of Autistic identity and to the exclusion of Black voices and representations in narratives about autistic lives. They also provide a contemporary gauge/counterpoint for more marginalized and often masked historical realities of Autistic Blackness impacted by structural racism, sexism, and racialized violence, such as the later diagnosis of Black, Brown and lower income communities and the stigma of neurodivergence in mainstream society.
Autism x Emerging Media Guides
The inaugural content for this website was born out of a final digital project for an American Studies seminar, “Black Autism.” This section highlights some of the contemporary alt social media platforms that discuss how Autism intersects with Blackness and other aspects of identity, such as gender and sexuality. They explore how creative arenas, such as visual media, increase the visibility of Autistic Black/Black Autistic perspectives and engage with broader discussions about the connections between blackness, social justice, human dignity, citizenship, and inclusivity.
Find links to student-developed emerging media guides below:
| Guides | Authors |
|---|---|
| Listening to Black Autistic Women and Girls | Gwyn Gutheil |
| Miss Understood | Jessica Jones |
| Black Autistic Families and Covid-19: Mutual Aid, Communal Care, and Joy | Felicia McDevitt |
| Camouflaging Disorders: The Investigation of Psychiatric Disorders Masking an Autism Diagnosis | Caroline Munn |
| Policing Black Autistic Bodies | Taylor O’Connor |
| This Is My Part Nobody Else Speak | Dayla Whaley |
| Autistic Blackness in an Ableist and Racist Police State | Zoë Sylvester-Chin |