On Monday, February 9, Felicity House hosted the “Exploring the Black and Autistic Experience” webinar in honor of Black History Month. This virtual event brought together community members, service providers, caregivers, and guests for an evening of reflection, education, and dialogue centered on research and the lived experiences of Black autistic women.

The program featured three speakers: Dr. Themba Carr, author Kala Allen Omeiza, and Dr. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, who each offered unique perspectives on identity, history, stigma, and community support. (Please see below for each speaker’s bio).

As a clinical psychologist, Themba presented on the history of autism diagnosis in the BIPOC community. She addressed historical disparities in diagnosis and service access, and linked her research to current challenges. She also discussed the increasing rate of autism diagnoses in the Black community, noting that while a lot of advocacy work is still needed, the raising awareness is improving access to care.

Kala shared her personal journey, offering an intersectional perspective on the stigma surrounding autism, particularly for Black autistic women. She encouraged attendees to integrate cultural awareness into their understanding of stigma and provided tangible steps for providers and caregivers to better support Black autistic women. These steps included honoring individual accommodation preferences and engaging in intentional conversations to understand an individual’s history, identity, and cultural background to determine what might be most supportive for them.

Morénike, who is also a Felicity House Self-Advocate Advisory Board member, presented on sustainable presence for Black autistic women, sharing her thoughts on how to practice authentic self-expression while protecting energy and boundaries. She discussed the importance of protecting mental health, explaining that guarding your energy and boundaries involves putting yourself first to maintain a lasting presence. When addressing service providers and caregivers, she stressed the importance of having their practices rooted in research and understanding. She also explained how important it is for service providers and caregivers to actively listen to the Black, autistic women they serve without preconceived bias. 

Throughout the webinar, all three speakers emphasized themes of representation, cultural awareness, and community care. Attendees contributed meaningful questions during the Q&A portion of the program, asking the panelists about media representation and how to authentically show up as themselves in different environments. 

After the event, one member shared, “I feel like I learned a lot from this webinar and everyone had great information to offer and were vulnerable about their experiences and really encouraged self care and community building. I learned so much from what they shared.”

Felicity House is grateful to all three speakers for sharing their time, research, and lived expertise with the community. Continuing these conversations helps strengthen support systems and deepen collective understanding.

If you were unable to attend, a recording of the webinar can be found at this link.

Speaker Bios

Dr. Themba Carr: 

Themba is a clinical psychologist and the Clinic Manager of the Autism Discovery Institute at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan and completed postdoctoral fellowships within the University of California system.

Themba specializes in the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and focused her graduate and postdoctoral research on community‑partnered approaches to reduce barriers to care for African American families. Themba currently supervises a multidisciplinary team serving children with autism and their families, co‑chairs the Rady Children’s GROW Leadership Council, and teaches in the San Diego Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. Across her clinical, leadership, and educational roles, she is committed to promoting inclusivity and belonging through affirming, family‑centered care.

Kala Allen Omeiza: 

Kala Allen Omeiza is an avid writer and leader of a mental health nonprofit, I’m Heard. She is the author of novels about neurodiversity and autism awareness including Afrotistic (2022), The Worst Saturday Ever (2023) and Autistic and Black (2024).

As a former mental health researcher, Kala has worked on various research projects on mental health and neurodiverse conditions at Harvard and Duke, and as a US Fulbright scholar in Nigeria. Before pivoting to storytelling, Kala has utilized her research experience in various domains including entrepreneurship as South Park Commons’ first Black female founder fellow, as well as a lead researcher and fundraiser at a VC-funded company working in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Kala is a graduate of Miami University and a Masters graduate of the University of Oxford in the UK.

Dr. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu: 

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD (she/they) is a global advocate, educator, and parent in a neurodiverse, multicultural family. A disabled person of color and non-binary woman, Morénike’s work focuses on inclusion, identity, and justice for underrepresented communities.

Morénike has shared their expertise at places such as the United Nations and the White House and co-edited award-winning books such as Sincerely, Your Autistic Child. Morénike also wrote A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey…in Color, which explores autism and parenting through an affirming, personal lens.

Her work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, BBC, and NBC’s Today Show. Morénike is also the founder of Advocacy Without Borders, a nonprofit that empowers and uplifts community advocates.