10 Black Autistic People You May Want To Know about
I found 30 people with autism that you may want to know about, and I thought these ten were especially incredible.
Anita Cameron
The first person we will be covering is Anita Comeron. She is one of the original disability rights activists in the United States. She worked on the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and has been in the disability rights movement for 37 years.
She explains that too often, in the telling of the history of the disability rights movement, the voices and experiences of Black disabled, in particular, have been whitewashed, or even erased.
Despite section 504 being in place stating that the rehabilitation act states that no qualified person with disability can be discriminated against, there are federal fines if you discriminate against a qualified individual who is disabled.
In the following video she presents the intersectionality of disabilities:
2. Angela Weddle
Angela is an accomplished artist and an Art of Autism board member. She is a professional visual artist with autism, cerebral palsy, and congenital right hemisphere brain damage. Weddle is a neurological anomaly and savant, who is not supposed to have any artistic ability but always has. She has mentored students about poetry and art and participated as a mentor for Summer on the Hill, a program for autistic and intellectually disabled young adults.
She has taught students ranging from young children to adults art privately in San Antonio, TX.
She is also a published poet in the journal Barking Sycamores Year One; Edited by V. Solomon Maday & N.I. Nicholson. Weddle has blogged and is a contributing blogger for the international blog The Art of Autism.
Weddle also lectures about autism awareness and advocacy to local organizations and corporations such as H.E.B. Weddle is known for her sketchbooks, in particular, and has been mentioned in the San Antonio Current, as well as, interviewed by the local arts magazine, Arts United San Antonio, as well as POPSUGAR, and has collaborated with Apple Inc.
3. Dr. Sarai Pahla
Dr. Pahla is an MD and a freelance medical translator who was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in South Africa. See her youtube talk on autism and girls below.
4. Dr. Angel Durr
Dr. Durr is an Ethical Data Strategist and Analytical Scientist, Founder & CEO of DataReady DFW.
A transformational & creative solution-driven leader with a stellar record of supporting mission-critical automated solutions, knowledge management & operational improvement. Skilled in integrating innovative AI/ML-driven solutions, streamlining content & motivating team members while managing multiple stakeholder expectations. Committed to driving automated processes & intelligent technology.
5. Burnett Grant
Burnett is a Senior Lab Technician of Flabor Essences at ZoomEssence, Inc., a Neurodiversity Advocate at NDGifts whose mission is to build a social network that focuses on inclusion and neurodiversity in the work place.
7. Bernard Grant
Bernard is a PhD Candidate in English, Associate Fiction Editor at Tahoma Literary Review, Researcher and Writer at Grit & Flow, Neurodiversity Advocate at NDGiFTS.
8.Armani Williams
Armani is a Detroit-based professional Nascar race driver.
Armani Williams is a 21-year-old professional stock car driver currently competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Armani races the #43 for RBR, Reaume Brothers Racing. Armani is the first professional driver in NASCAR openly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Armani uses his racing career as a platform to draw awareness and acceptance to autism, and create better life outcomes for families impacted by the disorder.
Armani has competed coast to coast in the United States and Canada.
9. Michael Fuller
Michael Fuller is on the autism spectrum and has studied at Richmond upon Thames College in London. He plays classical piano and is an operatic singer, also writing his own music.
Michael sees the world through sound, creating melodies from the bustle of the high street or trains on the tracks.
Disability Arts Online have co-commissioned a video of him performing, Great Is the Grief, a song he wrote aged just 14. Watch the video below:
10. Kalin Bennett
Kalin Bennett made history as the first person with autism to receive a Division 1 scholarship to play basketball.
