We Need to Talk About Neurodiversity in the Black Community — For Real
Introduction
I am not stupid. Yes, I am going to start there. Maybe I don't understand you, perhaps I am doing something wrong, but if you respected me, why are you laughing? I've been in college for three months, and somehow I come home feeling broken and stupid. But why is that? My HBCU might be number one in academics for some people, but I struggle in silence, fighting just to be understood or supported, and I know I am not the only one. What is so shameful and scary that maybe I need some extra time, or I don’t understand the joke, or perhaps I can't go out because I can’t handle being in overstimulating situations? This is a slightly more personal piece, I’ll admit, but it's not only me. Everyone who knows understands that, as someone in the neurodivergent community and a Black woman, we have to fight ten times harder to gain respect. Especially as competition in the Black community grows, we are immediately on the lower level just because of who we are.
The Black community is already surrounded by stereotypes that we are “lazy”, “stupid”, “defiant”, etc. Reinforcing these stereotypes causes fear towards neurodivergent individuals, specifically in our community, because people think that we are “slowing them down” or “proving their point,” but we are not; we are not less than anyone else, and racists are pitting us against each other, just as they want.
As the Black community has begun to reclaim our “athletic” successes, it has become even harder for those with physical differences, struggles, and disabilities to feel valuable in society. Black people additionally have a lot to prove in professional and academic environments, and when they are neurodivergent, their struggles are dismissed as stupidity instead of a sign for help.
Suppose you look at our history of racism, specifically in policing. In that case, the legal system neglects to give police appropriate training to help people with physical and/or mental disabilities, so they use the “command and control” tactic, which will not work for someone who is disabled. According to Urban, “One-third to half of police use-of-force incidents involve a person with a disability, and half of the people killed by police have a disability. “ Just because of the way that we are, we are more prone to police violence and harassment.
Neurodiversity in Academia as a Black Student
Let’s narrow this topic down to you. Neurodiversity refers to when someone's brain functions differently from what is considered "typical" or "standard" by society. Which to me reminds me of what being Black feels like in our society, because we are not the “standard” in society, we are shamed and harassed for our existence. So why do we shame neurodivergent people, especially those in the Black community?
Being a Black student means that we already have to learn in a world that is not built with us in mind. Add neurodivergency to that struggle, which means that the fight for respect and success is not twice but four times harder. We all feel pressure to exceed expectations, but we often leave our siblings behind instead of helping them succeed alongside everyone else.
What is Black Excellence If We Aren’t All “Excellent”?
Black excellence is something we all strive to own. Black excellence is the recognition and celebration of Black people who have broken down barriers, achieved success, and overcome obstacles despite their race. It’s about celebrating the strength, resilience, and achievements that help drive our success forward.
Many neurodivergent people learn to hide, mask, and suppress themselves by working hard to overachieve to feel and appear as “capable”. The Black community pushes the “twice as good” ideology instead of trying to help people succeed, which further causes competition instead of community. Let’s inspire people to think about how they can support themselves, not strain their brains because that’s what people impose on us.
Miseducation
“Black excellence” focuses on being the “best”, but not the invisible struggles behind them. We are expected to succeed without guidance, support, or understanding, particularly within the neurodivergent community, mainly due to a lack of education on how to provide mental, academic, physical, social, and other forms of support to those in need. Black people are taught that asking for help is a sign of weakness, but what’s weak about self-reflection and understanding? But instead, people are terrified to advocate for what they need, even to their peers, because of the pattern of shame towards neurodivergent people in our community. “Black excellence” is a demonstration of our independence, but what is so bad about needing some support? I am exhausted because every day I have to fight twice as hard to receive what I need, just to be told to “figure it out,” and then when I struggle, I am shamed for something I cannot change. Instead of comparing people to others, we need to personalize our world to support individuals in the ways they need.
Systemic Barriers
Medical Mistrust
Historically, Black people have been faced with medical racism. According to the American Journal of Public Health, in 2015, researchers concluded that most healthcare providers showed a pattern of favoring white over Black people. This review analyzed findings from 1999 - 2013. Average levels of implicit racial and ethnic biases were found among health care professionals, which were mainly related to patient–provider interactions, treatment decisions, receiving prescribed medication, and patient health outcomes.
Biased Diagnosing Tools
Research relating to neurodiversity is not based on us but on white individuals. We are underrepresented in research, which causes a failure to recognize neurodivergent traits in Black individuals. According to “Disparities in diagnoses received prior to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder” by David S. Mandell, Richard F. Ittenbach, Susan E. Levy, and Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin, “African-Americans were 2.6 times less likely than white children to receive an autism diagnosis on their first specialty care visit.” Black children struggle even to understand their brains and bodies because our society deems them as less important, which can cause bigger mental and physical issues in the future.
Personal Reflection
I am tired of people asking me, “What happened?” “Are you okay?” and “This isn’t you.” Because this is me, and I am okay. And what happened? Nothing happened; you don’t cater to how my brain works, but instead, that language makes me feel as though I am the problem. I am not the problem, we aren’t the problem, society is just built without us in mind, and people forget that you aren't like everyone else, and that’s okay. I work three times as hard in my classes just to “concern” my teachers, but how do I answer, “What’s wrong?” when this is how the brain works? Neurodivergent people aren’t “working less” or “lazy,” but often we are working twice as hard to feel like a failure instead of being acknowledged for our efforts. Specifically in the Black community, we struggle to talk about neurodivergency.
Works Cited
Hall, William J., et al. “Implicit Racial/Ethnic Bias among Health Care Professionals and Its Influence on Health Care Outcomes: A Systematic Review.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 105, no. 12, 2015, pp. 60–76, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638275/, https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2015.302903.
Mandell, David S., et al. “Disparities in Diagnoses Received prior to a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 37, no. 9, 8 Dec. 2006, pp. 1795–1802, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861330/, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0314-8.
Robin, Lily, and Evelyn McCoy. “Policing Is Killing Black Disabled People. Centering Intersectionality Is Critical to Reducing Harm.” Urban Institute, 15 Nov. 2021, www.urban.org/urban-wire/policing-killing-black-disabled-people-centering-intersectionality-critical-reducing-harm.
