Abstract/Statement
This autoethnography investigates the diverse challenges associated with being a Black, undiagnosed autistic woman coming of age on the internet, and examines how online experiences shaped my identity over the past twenty years. Early encounters with racism and cautious self-expression on platforms such as forums, GeoCities, Myspace, and YouTube are explored as my initial efforts to "fit in" in virtual spaces. I discuss how engaging with platforms like Instagram and Etsy enabled my participation in the gig economy while grappling with my pre-diagnosis social struggles. I also share how I navigate post-2020 experiences as a Black autistic online creator, how TikTok played a pivotal role in my journey to diagnosis, and how my self-expression, self-employment, and online sharing changed as a result. Through this paper, I hope to encourage discussions about the intersections of autism, race, and gender within our digital experiences.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Harper-Nichols, Morgan
(2023)
"Breaking Me Down and Lifting Me Up: An Autoethnography of Being a Black Autistic Woman Online,"
Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture: Vol. 4:
Iss.
2, Article 8.
DOI: 10.9707/2833-1508.1126
Available at:
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ought/vol4/iss2/8
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Development Studies Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Social Media Commons