ONLINE GROUPS

Black Autistic
Meetup

This is a group for Black Autistic folks to meet and connect with others. It is a space for belonging, representation, support and hope.

After a short hiatus, Black Autistic Meetup is back, with a new facilitator, Antonia Aluko, and refreshed session structure. Learn more below.

First session is Wednesday 24th September, 7.30–9pm

Book your place

when

Last Wednesday of each month, 7.30–9pm

where

Hosted on Zoom

Cost

Free

who is welcome?

Black Autistic Meetup is open to people age 18+ who are Black and Autistic (diagnosed or self-diagnosed).

a note from your new facilitator

Hi everyone!

My name is Antonia, I’m a Lived Experience Advisor at Neurodiverse Connection. I am delighted to be the new facilitator of the Black Autistic Meetup group. I’m really looking forward to meeting you all and continuing to nurture this important community space together.

I’m excited to build on the strong community that already exists within the group: keeping space for open discussions, but also trialling new ‘themed’ topics for each monthly session. I hope this will bring fresh and interesting perspectives and further expand the range of conversations we have within the group.

As ever, your feedback will remain vital to shaping the group. I look forward to welcoming you all from September, to this newly relaunched space for reflection and connection.

See you there! 

what happens in a session?

  1. Introductions and exploring shared principles of the group

  2. Short exercises to stimulate conversation, participants taking turns to contribute on a chosen theme

  3. Open discussion on a monthly theme – the theme could guide our discussion, or we may simply use it as a starting point to start conversations. All input is valid.

  4. Sharing helpful or interesting resources

  5. Close of session with key takeaways and reflection

  • "The Black Autistic Meet Up has provided me with hope and a sense of solidarity. This has improved my wellbeing because I now know that I'm not alone in my experiences. Hearing from other Black Autistic people and recognising that we have so much in common alongside our individual, unique experiences has been really good. Overall, I've felt lifted after each meet up."

  • "Sharing common experience has meant not feeling so alone/ isolated and more empowered to make changes myself. Hearing other people’s strategies has giving me ideas I can use to improve my own life."

  • "I feel less alone, and the story I've grown up with that there was 'something wrong' with me has much less power than it used to. Also, being in a space where I feel comfortable is so important to me - there are so many where I feel I have to leave some/all my identities at the door in order for others to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves in the space."

  • "Seeing and hearing persons like me has been an empowering experience. Finding this group has been a privilege. A vital part of my wellbeing. The host of the group is empowering; empathetic, supportive and full of compassion and knowledge! Please keep this group going it is an essential part of a lot of our lives."

Expectations

  • Come with an open mind and respect others' views.

  • Respond to others with respect and compassion.

  • Hate speech, disruption, aggression, or intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated, whether verbally or in the chat, and will result in removal from the meeting and may result in a ban from future meetups.

  • Please do not offer unsolicited advice (giving feedback, advice or your opinion in response to what another attendee has shared when it is not asked for, even if it is positive).

  • Always observe confidentiality. Any personal  information shared during the session must stay in the session. The only exception is if something raises concerns for someone’s safety. In that case, the facilitator will privately connect with the person and offer help to access appropriate support.

  • Take responsibility for yourself, including how and what you share, and your well-being during the sessions.

  • If you need support and feel comfortable to do so ask within the group or ask the facilitator. If this isn’t helpful or appropriate then seek external assistance from your GP, and/or local health and social care services or support groups.

Disclaimer

To support safety and wellbeing of attendees we reserve the right to remove any participant who violates the group expectations.

→ Safeguarding policy

meet your host

Antonia Aluko

NdC Associate (she/her)

Antonia is an advocate for unmasking and supporting Autistic people in mental health spaces. Her early experiences as a young carer sparked her drive to challenge systems and shape more inclusive approaches within the NHS. Today, she works through her advisory role to make wards more open and accessible for Autistic people.

Late diagnosed in her early twenties, Antonia also draws on her lived experience as a Black Queer Autistic woman. Navigating both social and academic spaces shaped her passion for educating others on how identity, from ethnicity and gender to sexuality, religion and age, influences the Autistic experience.

Alongside her work with NdC, Antonia is pursuing a PhD on identity and oppression in Roman Literature. In her spare time, she enjoys anime, badly written romance novels and trips with friends.

Book your place

Black Autistic content from our blog

Featured
‘I didn’t feel my grief was validated’ - An Autistic experience of navigating grief
‘I didn’t feel my grief was validated’ - An Autistic experience of navigating grief

Guest Contributor, Kyra Thompson, shares a deeply personal insight into her experience of grief as an Autistic woman from a Caribbean household.

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Navigating the intersections: the need for self-compassion
Navigating the intersections: the need for self-compassion

Lived Experience Advisor, Antonia Aluko, makes a powerful case for greater self-compassion in this insightful exploration of navigating her own intersectional experience.

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The untold struggles of Neurodivergent Black boys in schools
The untold struggles of Neurodivergent Black boys in schools

Honoring Black History Month, NdC Associate Warda Farah explores the intersection of Black and Neurodivergent identity, and reflects on how the dual marginalisation faced by Black Autistic individuals is further compounded for boys in school settings.

Warda is the creator and host of NdC’s monthly, free-to-attend Black Autistic Meetup sessions.

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Reclaiming the Narrative: What It Means to Be Black and Autistic
Reclaiming the Narrative: What It Means to Be Black and Autistic

Honoring Black History Month, NdC Associate Warda Farah explores the intersection of Black and Autistic identity, and reflects on how the dual marginalisation faced by Black Autistic individuals is further compounded for women and girls. Warda is the creator and host of NdC’s monthly, free-to-attend Black Autistic Meetup sessions.

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Black Hair and Autism: A Refusal to Disentangle
Black Hair and Autism: A Refusal to Disentangle

Reflecting on the evolving relationship with her hair, Antonia Aluko explores the interplay between being black, autistic and queer, and how this relationship has grown and blossomed alongside her journey of unmasking and becoming her true authentic self.

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Embracing our Identities: The Power of the Black Autistic Meetup group 
Embracing our Identities: The Power of the Black Autistic Meetup group 

Neurodiverse Connection is proud to host Black Autistic Meetup, founded and lead by NdC Associate, Warda Farah. In this article, Warda reflects on the power of this invaluable space for belonging, representation, support and hope.

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Celebrating Black Autistic Women: Say it loud “ I’m Black Autistic &amp; I am Proud”</span>
Celebrating Black Autistic Women: Say it loud “ I’m Black Autistic & I am Proud”

Black History Month, a time to honour and celebrate the immense contributions and resilience of Black individuals throughout history, also offers an opportunity to explore the intersecting identities that make each person unique. Among the remarkable individuals who have shaped history are Black autistic women, whose stories and experiences are often overlooked or untold. In this blog, we delve into what it means to be a Black autistic woman and how their presence enriches the tapestry of Black history.

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Neurodiverse Connection launches a Black and Autistic support group
Neurodiverse Connection launches a Black and Autistic support group

What I’m writing about and advocating for may seem controversial to some and for others like myself it’s about time we talked about. The need for Black only spaces has recently become a debate due to the The Theatre Royal Stratford East has come under criticism after it asked all non-black customers not to attend a performance of the play ‘Tambo and Bones’.

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I am Black, I am a woman, I am autistic
I am Black, I am a woman, I am autistic

Black, woman and autistic. These attributes all intersect and make my experience of the world and how I am perceived markedly different from my non-Black autistic peers. Racism, sexism, misogyny and ableism are things I cannot escape.

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