I am currently featured in #AutisticOutLoud, a community-led documentary exploring Black and autistic identity in 21st-century America. The producers are working to bridge the gap in representation and highlight the intersections of race and neurodivergence in healthcare, education, and the arts.
To bring this vision to life, we are hosting a fundraiser next week, and I would value your presence.
Event: #AutisticOutLoud Fundraiser: A Benefit to Amplify Black Autistic Voices
Date: Thursday, May 21st
Time: 6:00 PM EST (90 Minutes)
Theme: Amplifying Black Autistic Voices
We will be sharing clips and stories from featured participants, including late-diagnosed entrepreneurs and artist-activists.
How to support:
– Attend: Join us to hear directly from the creators, advocates, and participants.
– Contribute: If you cannot attend, you can support our production goals at the link below.
#SocialMediaTip#GenerativeAI Tip: Type in exactly what you want and don’t want in a prompt for generating a graphic for socialmediacontent. Otherwise, AI would think that someone like @michaelphelps.official (Michael Phelps) is Black and Neurodivergent.
Note: This letter will also be posted on my Substack. I wrote this for an MLK writing contest my school held, which got me 2nd place and an undisclosed prize.
January 22, 2026
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., PhD Ebenezer Baptist Church
101 Jackson St NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
Greetings, Reverend Dr. King,
I am writing to you as a representative of the modern American dreamers.
As a Black autistic man in America, I am afraid, along with you. I am witnessing the decay of the American dream right in my neighborhood, in which the federal government is endorsing the bullying of marginalized people through military-like raids, supporting slurs as ‘free speech’, and re-legalizing discriminatory practices in public places such as schools and government agencies. It is as if I am watching the Jim Crow you helped defeat in the South resurrect on steroids by the administration we shall not name. Then again, what is new in America? Non-pluralistic American ideals and discrimination have always been as thematic as the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Even our great president, Teddy Roosevelt, promoted the ‘whole American’ ideal where the good American is (white and) not tied to their homelands before migrating (or getting kidnapped) to the United States. How did they enforce “the All-American” ideology in the early 20th century? Systemic marginalization and brutality towards peoples who are “not American enough”, usually non-white, disabled, and non-straight. What’s been happening this year alone is a replay of the first score of the 20th century.
But not to worry.
We are applying your teachings and Malcom’s teachings and the teachings of all the freedom fighters of the 1950s and 1960s. For instance, you should be proud of Chicago; our mayor and our governor are creating legislation that are minimizing militarized attacks of undocumented Americans and American citizens of color. There are some in Congress doing their best to oppose harmful laws from the regime. And everywhere you go, you may see large crowds protesting and boycotting. Our fighting spirit is still burning bright.
You had a dream that one day, the descendants of slaves and the descendants of slave owners would sit around a table of brotherhood, eating and fellowshipping together. I, too, share your dream, though I picture your gathering more like a large potluck where people from various cultures bring their dishes to share with all, while each people at the table of humanity are supported so that they can equitably participate (for example, the tables are level and placed on smooth surfaces so that mobility device users can enjoy and join in).
Like that potluck, there is no America without the intersectional input and influences from each person with many different backgrounds (e.g., race, disability identity, gender, class, etc.). We all have different things to offer to ensure America remains unified and equitable, just as our imperfect yet insightful Founding Fathers envisioned.
However, I need your help, and perhaps you can assist me in conveying what we want to the readers and audience. Did you struggle with including disabled people, white allies, LGBT+ communities, and marginalized people from other communities of color (e.g., Latinx, Asian-American, Native American), or how did your contemporaries make sure every identity had the opportunity to contribute to structuring the American dream that you have spoken of in 1963? It’s a dilemma that even I, as a self-advocate from multiple backgrounds, struggle with. People assume that we must focus on the plight of one community at a time, but I feel oppression unites all of us because we face similar types of oppressions, but in different contexts. I wish our movement were as big as your Civil Rights Movement, and as serious as your movement, where we are okay with making the status quo folks uncomfortable and making ourselves uncomfortable for the greater, unified, and equitable good.
I think I might have untied the Gordian knot! The Civil Rights Movement was large because you, Malcolm, Rev. Jackson, the Black Panthers, the Rainbow Coalition, and more of your contemporaries figured out one thing: oppression affects us all; therefore, we must fight oppression together. You have all already provided us with the blueprints. Just look at how you united Black and European-American communities together, or how Fred Hampton united all races together, or (later on) how the Black Panthers played a crucial role in the disability rights movement.
My request to you and your fellow ancestors and “OGs” of the Civil Rights movement is this: teach us and show us examples of how we can bring generations, races, genders, and health conditions together to prevail against systemic oppression and build the table of humanity you spoke about long ago. We’re also open to guiding us to people in our current generations who are dreamers and fighters for building that table for our potluck.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Let us not be strangers; let’s share our knowledge, invite more people to our table, and fight for the table to not only reappear publicly but also stay for a long time. If we can work together across generations, I know we can work together across dimensions (you in Heaven’s Hall of Fame and me, along with your disciples, on Earth).
Two young Black athletes, rendered in anime style, shake hands in the center frame. The athlete on the left has long, dark dreadlocks and wears a navy athletic shirt labeled “UIC”; the athlete on the right has short, cropped hair and wears a dark blue football-style jersey with a stylized number 4. Both smile warmly and make eye contact as their right hands meet; cinematic rim lighting and soft cel-shading emphasize their faces and musculature. The background features a foggy waterfront city skyline and stadium lights, blending cool blue tones with warm gold highlights; a small, plain-text artist credit appears in the corner.
Source: AI-generated illustration by Copilot, created from user-supplied photos of Timotheus “T.J.” Gordon, Jr. and Jeremiyah Love.
I hope your day is going well. My name is T.J. Gordon, and I am an autistic researcher-advocate based in Chicago, IL, as well as the creator of the blog on Blackness and neurodivergence, the Black Autist.
First and foremost, I congratulate you on winning the Doak Walker Award and being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. You deserved all the accolades, as you excelled this season for Notre Dame, and you gave us highlight reel after highlight reel! I consider you the first neurodivergent Heisman finalist and Doak Walker Award winner. I pray that you will continue to excel in pro football and in all future endeavors you choose.
But there’s a deeper reason why I am writing this open letter to you.
I have read and watched your backstory on ESPN College Gameday in September, and I am touched by it. For starters, you mentioned how you and your parents inform your coaches on how to connect with you and support you, while letting you be you on and off the field. Additionally, I observed how you utilize athletics and strengths from your world (as I would like to call it) to shape your approach to navigating the world, which is in your own terms.
You see, I am neurodivergent myself (autistic to be exact), and I was once a student-athlete who tried my hand at walking on a college football team. I played defensive lineman in high school. I love sports, including American football, and I also benefited from coaches who supported my growth and ambitions as an athlete, while they understood that I was different than the other players. Even as I transitioned to more of the recreational and societal aspects of sports & a career in advocacy and research, I continue to seek supports that helps me excel in any endeavor while I maintain my quirkiness, in which my quirkiness, career aspirations, and life philosophies are intertwined into my core being.
Thank goodness for sports, because they are the ultimate equalizer, where anyone can be a hero at any given time, and it can be the nerdy, weird, or silly person. Take a look at athletes like Dennis Rodman, Bill Lee, John Randle, and more. They have their unique, colorful personalities, but they have also made significant contributions to their respective sports.
I can now tell my son, my goddaughter, and any kid I come across that if they identify with any quirks or neurodivergence, they can be themselves in this world, find their tribes, and succeed in anything they set their minds to, whether it’s in sports, politics, entertainment, military, trades, etc. I will show examples of such success stories as yours, Mr. Love. Living a neurodivergent dream life requires self-confidence, resources, and supportive communities.
By all means, you have the right not to label your identity or how you navigate this neurotypical world. You don’t need a doctor’s diagnosis to connect with our neurodivergent community. I will personally respect how you wish to identify yourself. Nevertheless, do not stop being yourself and ask for support that will enable you to be yourself in YOUR world. You are an example of how we, as neurodivergents, can excel with and without support BECAUSE of our traits and personalities, not in spite of them. Continue to be yourself as you prepare for the pros, and trust me, more neurodivergent folks will follow.
I would love to have you on my podcast, where we can discuss football, anime, and being our authentic selves in a “normal world,” as well as the support we seek to achieve that. Consider this us chopping it up as neurodivergent and Blerd athletes (I’m more of the former athlete, but still). If you’re interested, please reach out to me at timotheus.tj.gordonjr@gmail.com. In the meantime, to get a sense of the topics I cover and discuss through my writing and content creation, visit http://linktr.ee/timotheusgordonjr and http://linktr.ee/blackautist.
Thank you for encouraging neurodivergents, autistics, and “outcasts” like myself to seek our paths, excel, and seek the support to live out our lives and enjoy ourselves AS ourselves.
Godspeed,
Timotheus “T.J.” Gordon, Jr.
Creator of the Black Autist
Autistic Reseacher-Advocate at the University of Illinois Chicago
Note: This article also appears in Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.’s newsletter, Nothing About Us Without Us, with additional ways to support the organization that I am part of now. Additionally, this article may contain more profanity than I typically use, so please read with caution and avoid sharing it with children.
Image Description: A diverse group of protestors, including individuals holding LGBTQ+ pride flags and signs advocating for various social justice issues, face a line of ICE agents in riot gear on a snowy street in Chicago. Tall city buildings rise in the background.
Image Source: Generated by a Google AI Assistant based on a user prompts.
Fellow disabled Chicagoans, allies, and disabled folx affected by the growing militarism…we are in a war zone, and we are in the middle of it.
I, a life-long Chicagoan for most of my life, am in the crosshairs of a mini Civil War, where the federal government is threatening the livelihoods of people in a particular local area with illegal raids.
Why the illegal and pointless raids, which I feel are targeting ANYONE? I refuse to believe it’s about the safety of Chicago; within the first six months, the overall crime rate has decreased by about 21 percent. I seldom see much crime on the North Side, and whenever I visit my home side of town, the South Side. I believe in Mayor Johnson and his administration’s efforts to focus more on creating opportunities for youth (e.g., schools, employment, after-school programs, mentorship) than on heavily policing parts of Chicago. And while immigration regulation is important, there are processes in place where the federal government doesn’t just barge into neighborhoods and harass immigrants (or anyone they suspect is are immigrant, including U.S. citizens).
This is a micro example of the Trump Administration’s efforts to erase and subjugate anyone and anything that is not white, cis-bodied, and ‘normal’ (non-disabled) through misinformation and intimidation.
It’s already a struggle to live within the City of Chicago, when rent is ridiculously high, while housing is getting more inaccessible & exclusive, the cost of food (with & without SNAP) is high, and there are still many food deserts where you don’t have access to fresh food and produce. Before the Illinois General Assembly bailed out the Chicagoland public transit system, there were discussions of increasing public transportation fares even further, which would have made traveling more expensive and inaccessible for people with disabilities who may not qualify for reduced or free fares. Even with that bailout, I still question whether it also means the Chicagoland area will invest in a failing paratransit system or, at the very least, add more rides back to the rideshare program. Do not get me started with national threats to all disability-related benefits like Medicaid, SNAP, educational and work accommodations, and more. And it’s challenging to secure a meaningful, full-time job with accommodations without undervaluing yourself; thus, you’re resorting to living off of SSI alone, hustling, or taking any jobs that are available, even if they are shitty or temporary.
When you add all that with the fear that ICE and (if called upon via executive order) the Illinois National Guard may target you because of your race, disability, and more marginalized identities from any Chicago ward (yes, you are not safe in Lakeview or Lincoln Park either, just like anything can happen in Little Village, Pilsen, Downtown, Englewood, or South Shore), you may feel afraid to come out the house.
Just imagine you’re Timotheus Gordon, Jr. for a few moments. You’re a king-sized Black man with locs, roaming the Chicago streets with some neurodivergence. You may be just jamming to your iMusic, oblivious to impending dangers beyond crossing the street and watching out for pickpockets. All of a sudden, you get questioned by ICE, and you try your hardest to explain you’re a U.S. citizen, you’re autistic, and you don’t know why you’re being stopped. They take that as you being a smart ass, or find you weird because you speak more like a Southerner or someone living in the Caribbean than a Chicagoan (whatever that means), and because your speaking pattern is interesting to them. Or perhaps they may have heard of your self-advocacy through your writings and TV appearances, hence being on the federal shit list. At any rate, ICE agents cuff you and detain you; you might get your ass kicked if you try to fight them off because you’re scared and still clusterfucked over what is taking place.
Yes. This is my fear, which I face each time I leave the friendly confines of work and home. Plus, I dealt with law enforcement violence before in 2008-09 during my undergraduate years, where I mistook bouncers and undercover cops in plain clothes for random people throwing my older brother out of the club and attempting to jump him. Intuitively, I stepped in ready to fight off the ‘thugs’, until someone tripped me from behind and cuffed me on the ground. That’s when I realized these were bouncers and undercover cops, and why my brother was thrown out: he had a little bit too much to drink, but because a group of people confronted him, I thought it was people giving him a hard time. Without my bro yelling, “he’s autistic! He didn’t know, and he’s home from college, he’s autistic!”, we would’ve been stuck in a cell and have to explain to my dear, poor mother what happened, and I probably would have been banned from going out ever again without an entourage. Luckily, after explaining to the officers that I was just taking him out of the club and wasn’t trying to start trouble, they uncuffed us and let us go.
So if that happened to me over mistaking undercover cops for random thugs, imagine what could happen to me if I confront ICE and there is no one to vouch for me at the moment. We’re talking about a possible explanation to my son and my goddaughter, both six years old at the time I wrote this piece, about how their father figure will either be gone for a long time due to jail or escaping the U.S., or not coming back because ICE killed him.
It is not safe for disabled people in Chicago right now, especially for disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent people of color like myself who already look like “threats”. But here I am, still fighting for myself and my community through advocacy and speaking up, as I do now.
To my fellow disabled Chicagoland and allies, you can and you WILL fight back against the terror taking place in our home. I believe in you even if you don’t believe in yourself at the moment. Here are some examples of how you can support marginalized communities affected by the militarized invasion:
Speak up and speak out by publishing your writings, photos, and videos to social media, digital media platforms, and your local and national news sources. Sharing your story can encourage more people to advocate for the Chicago disability community during these scary times.
Join disability community-led and centered organizations, such as ADAPT, independent living centers (including Access Living and Progress Center for Independent Living), the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition, NAMED Advocates, and Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.
Share ‘know-your-rights’ information with people who want and need guidance on how to deal with ICE confrontations.
Alt text: Cartoon of a Black non-binary person wearing noise-canceling headphones and a yellow sweater, holding a cane and reaching toward a floating dollar bill with a worried expression. Image source: Created by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2025)
Folks, I have a confession to make: I’ve been struggling for some time. It’s hard to live comfortably as a Black disabled man now. It’s pissing me off to be honest. I feel like a failure at 38 years old, as I see my fellow high school and college alumni getting paid well, building families for years, and being able to afford to sustain themselves and have a little fun. All my degrees and experiences up to this point amounted to pain, empty pockets, underappreciation, isolation, and being misunderstood.
It started with receiving less support on a personal matter that I am still paying for, but then it snowballed into larger debts. Note: I am fully responsible for my financial choices, and I am taking care of them so that it won’t be a recurring theme in my life.
Add the rising costs of medical care, food, cable, transportation (via ridshare), and rent, and I am now living paycheck to paycheck. This is partly why I have been seeking another job, some part-time gigs, or opportunities to get my business off the ground. My ultimate goal is to support the basic needs and dreams for myself and my family (namely, my future spouse, my son, my goddaughter, and any future offspring I create).
You might assume that because I have a disability, my costs should be covered and I should be living great. Yes?
That’s bullshit.
The grand prize for having a full-time college job with two master’s degrees, along with a plus-sized frame that was formerly athletic….VERY little access to benefits. I am too “high functioning” (whatever that means anymore), too stacked with degrees, and too strong looking (despite now dealing with chronic leg pain, mainly due to arthritis in my joints and wear and tear of running around and doing lots of physical activity most of my life) to receive SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, Medicare, etc.
Getting higher-paid jobs is easier said than done. Disabled folx, especially disabled folx of color, are often underemployed or unemployed. With the underemployed, we are not paid our full worth nor given opportunities to live out our dreams while getting livable and just wages. We are told to take customer service jobs, live off benefits, or be thankful for employers who give us a chance to secure full-time, customized jobs.
Not every job is a UIC job where they can customize jobs based on a person’s strengths and accommodations. I’m still subject to applying for jobs that require 5+ years of experience, a doctorate degree, or other requirements that can prevent me from even making it to the interview level, because most of my experiences are not relevant enough to the jobs, thus missing out on more money, more opportunities for me and my family to live a better life.
The only insurance I have is my job’s insurance, which enables me and my son (when he visits) to have access to the best healthcare options. Otherwise, I will have to pay all of my medical costs out of pocket. I don’t qualify for Medicaid and Medicare.
I am in constant threat of eviction or playing catch-up with bills and debts. But here I am, still thriving in my work and endeavors despite the financial situation.
I feel that very few people are willing to understand why I am struggling while I am “doing so well”, or why I am mentally drained. It seems that more people are encouraging me not to strive for bigger and better things, but rather to be content with scraps and the status quo (e.g., benefits or being underpaid). Worst, some are even trying to take away my dignity of risk, which I have worked all my life to obtain, so that I can be the best version of myself. I will continue to fuck up sometimes, but I guess what, I will also figure it out and take risks to address situations and find the people or resources that can fully support what I am trying to do at the moment.
Trust me, I hate begging. It makes me feel like a burden or weakling, which I am already afraid of being due to my disabilities. Or, I may be afraid that instead of support, people may try to pry information out of me to prove in their minds that I cannot be an independent disabled person or trust someone like me. Or that I should not aim higher than government benefits that already limit the livelihoods and aspirations of many disabled people.
However, I am growing more comfortable with seeking support from people like you in any form imaginable, which in turn makes me more confident in asking for help from you at times, whether it’s financial, advice, or assistance to someone in the disability communities of color.
This is not a blog post where I ask for pity or for someone to swoop in and take over my life. I’m writing this to address what is going on with people like me who cannot just live off of benefits or struggle to live an independent life in a world that doesn’t support working disabled folks.
If anything, share my story and stories like mine, where even the disabled folks who appear to “do well” are struggling behind the scenes.
I pray that one day I will be put back in a position where I can thrive again, where my family is supported and appreciated, and where I can offer blessings and mentorship to others, just as people have helped me at this point in my life.
Now I understand NBA: Never Broke Again, and not from a hip-hop or gangster culture standpoint either. I don’t want to go through this again, which is why I am taking steps to improve my financial situation, allowing me to succeed and support the people and causes I care about.
SN: Please share the following with those who can assist me in this current situation, where I had to replace some lost cards and add more money to my transportation than expected. More kudos to you if you can help, but if not, I understand, as I sound like a beggar to some people.
Text in the image:
0/$200
Black Neurodivergent and Chronically-hurt man in Chicago seeking emergency funds for a 7-day transit pass (in the process of replacing a ride-free card that was lost), food for the week, laundry, and paying a few pending debts from Beem and DoorDash/Venmo. Will get paid again in two weeks while continuing his path to greater financial freedom and improving his credit after a period of financial struggle that has been brewing for a while.
Payment Info
Venmo: @Timotheus-GordonJr
Paypal and Zelle: tjgordon87@gmail.com
Cash App: $TimoGordon
Or, share this, plus the link to the latest blog post below, to people who can help:
October is here—and so is my 38th birthday month! 🎉 As the creator of The Black Autist, I’m reflecting on a year of growth, grit, and gratitude. From building disability justice coalitions to sharing my story as a Black autistic father, advocate, and creative, this month is about honoring every part of me.
Want to celebrate with me? Here’s how you can show up and show out:
Send a Gift or Donation Support my work and birthday joy via Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp. 📧 tjgordon87@gmail.com | 💸 $TimoGordon | @Timotheus-GordonJr
Support Disability Justice Orgs Donate to Chicagoland DPOCC and Disability Community for Democracy—two orgs I deeply care about.
Book Me to Speak or Consult I’m now booking for panels, workshops, and consulting on disability justice, neurodiversity, race, and inclusive sex ed. 📩 timotheus.tj.gordonjr@gmail.com | ahshahyonace@gmail.com
Share My Work Amplify The Black Autist and invite neurodivergent BIPOC voices to collaborate on Instagram and WordPress.
This month, I’m celebrating harvest joy, Halloween magic, football season, and the birthdays of many wonderful people. Let’s make this season unforgettable.
≈$2600/$3900 (minimum payment) ≈$2600/$5100 (total backpayment) ≈$2600/$9000 (Backpayment plus 2 months’ worth of rent)
TJ (the Black Autist) is a Black autistic adult who is facing eviction due to financial hardship. He needs to raise $5,100 by July 10 (in three days) to avoid losing his home and the independence he’s worked so hard to maintain.
This is more than just rent—it’s about protecting someone’s dignity, safety, and stability.
Please consider donating to or sharing his fundraiser. Every bit of support helps.
Thank you all for the support! With your support, I am almost to the minimum payment I need to give ($3900) by Friday, and halfway to the full amount I owe ($5,100). I have also been in contact with a few social resources entities to see what they can do. And I will start promoting my service rates (via Ahshah Yona Creative Enterprises) this week, so that you can reach out to me if you need a speaker or presenter on race and disability topics!
But the campaign is not over yet. I still need help raising the rest of the money in 3 days. Share this campaign with your networks or give what you can. I appreciate all the support. In return, I will create a blog post where I will give all of you a shout-out for the support you have been giving me for the past 1-2 weeks.
