Black fathers raising children with autism are building spaces to share emotions, challenges, and hopes beyond the diagnosis. They are pushing back against silence and showing how engaged Black fatherhood can be in the face of developmental disorders.
Tyrone Green, a Michigan father of a 3-year-old son with autism, struggled with isolation after his child’s diagnosis. Feeling misunderstood, even by his wife, he turned to a Black fathers’ support group in 2021. In 2023, he launched AutisHIM, a podcast dedicated to Black fatherhood and autism.
Autism, a developmental disorder that affects communication and learning, is statistically more prevalent among Black children. Still, systemic delays in diagnosis have long complicated the journey for many Black families. Some public figures, like Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, have called autism a “tragedy,” a view many Black fathers reject.
Michael Hannon, a Montclair State University professor who studies the emotional impact of autism on Black fathers, stresses the need for open conversation. He says honest dialogue remains rare — not only among Black men, but across society.
Efforts like Autism in Black, founded by Dr. Berry Pierre and Maria Davis-Pierre, continue to spotlight the presence and dedication of Black dads. Pierre affirms that these fathers are active, attentive, and committed to their children’s futures — often going harder after the diagnosis, not pulling away.
