Autism Awareness Month and The Black Church

Autism has been a conversation I have been aware of taking place in communities less melanated. Whenever I have heard about Autism there has been some discussion about vaccination. Some linking them as cause and effect. But today I read something I had never read before about autism. This information was posted by a site I frequent called Black Mental Wellness. The paragraph on their Facebook post that drew me in was the following: “Autism Awareness Month isn’t just about information, it’s about context. For many of us, the Black church is where we were raised. It shaped how we understood behavior, discipline, and what it meant to show up right.”

It was those three words, show up right, that caused me to pause and think about the lack of patience many church folks have with a baby crying let alone someone who is autistic. In many church spaces, there is no room for individuals who can’t sit still and be quiet. If a church had a Mother’s Room, the mother and child would be separated from larger congregation, isolated and labeled. As the conversation about mental wellness and mental health grows in our society, the church must be a part of that conversation with a focus on understanding what neurodivergent means and the specific types of neurodivergence.

Thank you to blackmentalwellness.com for your focus on autism and how the black church can help and not harm those who experience the world differently. I encourage The Tinderbox Podcast community to check out their website. There are some thoughtful perspectives, and necessary information and resources as a great place to start building awareness. What better way to highlight the importance of Autism Awareness than to become informed.

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