When you think of famous Black people with autism I hope you have Armani Williams on your list.
We moved to Arizona almost 4 years ago. When we moved here we were still going through the motions of getting our son evaluated. He wasn’t talking yet and at the time I thought he only had a speech delay. We found out he has autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, and ADHD. It was a lot to deal with at the time. We didn’t know anything about autism, or anyone with an autism diagnosis. As I started doing research almost all of the information I found just didn’t seem relatable. I wanted to hear about the personal experiences of Black families. It would have even been awesome to see any famous Black people with autism in the media.
So I did the only thing I knew how to do at the time. I started looking at social media. While I was scouring through social media looking for more information about autism in the Black community. It became clear to me that I needed to start documenting our journey. I had so many questions and I’m sure I couldn’t be the only one. I was convinced that everyone else was just too embarrassed to talk about it openly.
However not only did I start sharing our journey, but I also started following autistic people of color. I felt like the best way for me to learn was to hear directly from the autism community. I also started following Black mothers with autistic children. Because most of the people being represented so far were white children. And I had very specific questions relating to Black children. And let’s just be honest, the Black disabled experience is completely different than that of their white counterparts.
A CDC study found that physicians were more likely to diagnose autistic Black children with other disorders, often ADHD. This usually results in delayed treatment, support, and advocacy for children in Black communities.
During this time I stumbled upon a young man by the name of Armani Williams. As I was reading I found out this young man is the first openly diagnosed autistic NASCAR driver. But what really piqued my interest is that he is a black autistic person! Seeing positive representation in the media is essential for anyone, let alone for Black people. We are usually only highlighted during Black History Month. But for the autistic community usually, only see themselves represented during Autism Awareness Month or Autism Acceptance Month. I was so inspired by him and everything he has accomplished.
(Autism Acceptance Month, which is usually celebrated in April, was created to emphasize the need for public awareness to promote acceptance, celebrate differences, and be more inclusive towards autistic individuals around us.)
Who is Armani Williams?
Armani Williams is a 23-year-old Detroit-based professional Nascar driver. He uses his racing career as a platform to draw awareness to Autism, promote autism research-based solutions, and create better life outcomes for families impacted by the developmental disorder. He has partnerships with IceCOLD Technology, The Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism Inc., and Visit Mesa. It’s through our mutual connections at Visit Mesa that my son and I were able to hang out with him and his team at the Phoenix Raceway at the Nascar Camping World Truck Series. You can read more about him on his website at teamarmaniwilliamsracing.com.
You can read my post about Visit Mesa here (the country’s first Autism Certified City)
This was our first time going to a NASCAR event. Cars have been a special interest of our son before but he’s never experienced it like this before. Before going I made sure to be prepared so I had our ear defenders handy. I’ve been told that these events can be nothing but really loud noises and I didn’t want Santana to be uncomfortable. When we got there it was exactly that! We made our way to the pit and were able to tour Armani’s crew area.
Autistic kids turn into autistic adults. And as Black parents, we only want to make sure our children are happy, healthy, and can survive without us one day. Armani has shown my son that it is absolutely possible for him to grow up and thrive and pursue his dreams. As his mother I am always encouraging him, however, it hits differently when he sees someone like him accomplishing their goals. Visit Mesa’s Alison Brooks, Director of Destination Experience & Advocacy says, “We are in awe of Armani’s passion to drive action and hope for those with autism. He is the ideal partner to help Mesa become known as a destination for people of all abilities and honor our creed of ‘City Limitless.’”
Other Famous Black people with autism worth mentioning:
- Morgan Harper Nichols
- Benjamin Banneker
- Jackie Pilgrim
- Nik Sanchez
Did you also know about these famous autistic people?
- Dan Akroyd
- Susan Boyle
- Satoshi Tajiri
- Elon Musk
Hello Kisha,I have been trying. To find activities for my 18 year old grandson. He just graduated from high school. I realize your children are younger, but do you know of any programs for older students?