Support the Movement: Help Fund #AutisticOutLoud Documentary

What Is #AutisticOutLoud?

#AutisticOutLoud is more than a documentary — it’s a movement of resilience, visibility, and inclusion.

Led by award-winning film producers, Tameka Citchen-Spruce and Juliet Romeo, alongside the insights of Black autistic and disabled advocates and community leaders, #AutisticOutLoud uplifts the stories that are too often silenced. Through personal storytelling, cultural insight, and unapologetic truth-telling, we are reshaping the narrative around autism, race, and disability in America.

Our Logline:

#AutisticOutLoud explores the untold history and current realities of being Black and Autistic in America, by featuring personal stories and firsthand accounts of the ongoing fight for equality and belonging from individuals and families living on the spectrum.

This film and its companion webinar series explore the real, lived experiences of Black autistic individuals navigating:

Mental health
Education
Employment
Identity
Joy and resistance

Meet Our Main Subjects of the documentary:

We’re honored to feature three powerful voices alongside many others from across the country — each living at the intersection of Blackness, autism, and advocacy:

✨ Yulanda Harris

Diagnosed at 58, Yulanda is a corporate veteran-turned-advocate who empowers neurodivergent professionals through her company, Training Phase. Her story sheds light on late-diagnosed autism, Black women in leadership, and the urgency of workplace inclusion.

✨ Nancy & Ian Tannis

A fierce Caribbean mother and her non-speaking autistic teenage son, fighting for equity in Brooklyn. Nancy also founded a Carnival event designed specifically for Caribbean children with autism and disabilities.

✨ Jennifer Johnson

A proud Afro-Latina artivist and mother of an autistic son, Jennifer embodies the phrase “Mothering is an act of resistance.” She and her son use art and storytelling to cultivate pride, disability justice, and cultural empowerment across the country.

Why This Work Matters

Black autistic people are too often excluded from mainstream narratives. This erasure leads to:

Misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis
Inadequate and culturally unsafe services
Harmful experiences in schools, hospitals, and workplaces
Higher rates of trauma, isolation, and burnout

#AutisticOutLoud breaks that silence — amplifying stories with authenticity, joy, and unapologetic truth.

Who We Are

This project is co-produced by Tameka Citchen-Spruce, an award-winning film producer, disability justice activist, and founder of Living Unapologetically Media, alongside Juliet Romeo, a fellow Black disabled filmmaker and advocate. Together with a team of autistic creatives and leaders, we are building a film that centers community — not pity. Power — not stereotypes.

The film is a natural evolution of the #AutisticOutLoud webinar series, which was funded by Next for Autism, drew over 100 engaged viewers, and was featured on BlackNews.com for sparking critical conversations about autism in the Black community.

Our Fundraising Goal

We’re raising $25,000 for Phase 1 of production to bring #AutisticOutLoud to life. This initial goal will help us move from vision to action — and ensure our film is created with the care, quality, and community-centered values it deserves.

Your support will directly fund:
✅ Professional filming to elevate the production quality
✅ Travel and accessibility costs for our disabled team members and documentary subjects
✅ Meaningful inclusion of autistic voices in every step of the creative process

This is just the beginning — but with your help, we can make sure this project starts strong and stays rooted in authenticity, equity, and joy.

How You Can Help

🟣 Donate – Every dollar brings us closer to finishing this film.
🟣 Share – Help us amplify the movement. Post on social media with #AutisticOutLoud.
🟣 Partner – Know a foundation, brand, or individual aligned with our mission? Let’s connect.

From Silence to Strength. From Pity to Power. From Exclusion to Voice.

This is the future we’re building — one story at a time.
Join us in making sure Black autistic voices are heard, celebrated, and remembered.

Donate Today