“Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”
John H. Harris, M.Div., D.Min.
As I write from an African American clergy perspective, let me begin by saying that in the Black church – be it Methodist, Church of God in Christ, Baptist, etc., – we are and always have been very tolerant and accepting of persons that differ, whether they are called autistic, schizophrenic, bipolar or any of the names or phrases used for people with mental or physical disabilities. Some of our willingness to work with persons we entitle “special” could have derived from our own experience of deprivation in the Black community, such as lack of education, knowledge, and resources. We are a family-oriented people. We are private with our family issues and we have never been able to afford or believe that institutions would provide the proper care for our loved ones. We also believe that God will work it out and “it is just our cross to bear.” In my experience, I have not heard the term “autism” used very often, nor encountered the behaviors associated with it, in the Black church and among acquaintances. But, without a doubt, I am sure it exists in the community, because I have observed it in other venues and around the world. I have taken a long look back at my own life, from my youth through my current role as Pastor, and I don’t recall ever hearing the word “autism” in my churches. But on the other hand, because of strange behaviors, I do remember hearing “Aw, you know they just crazy,” “not quite right in the head,” “their elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top,” or “he/she is just short of a dozen.” It is sometimes assumed that Black folks always thought, both then and now, that if a person’s behavior was different, then he or she must be demon-possessed. That did sometimes happen, but I also think we must have known the difference between being biblically demon-possessed and having mental instability. Another false belief was that autism was not found in the Black community, but of course we now know differently. In this modern day, there seems to be a wealth of information regarding autism, but it is obvious that we in the Black community continue to lack accurate or comprehensive knowledge and resources.
As a Pastor, I have looked into the eyes of caring mothers who appear worn and fragile, while meticulously doing their best to understand the child and his/her behavior, and both seen and heard their frustrated questions: “What have I done to deserve this?” or “What did I do to bring this on my child?” Historically, because of the lack of both secular and biblical education, some African Americans (as well as white Americans) whispered answers to those questions and behaviors on the assumption of demon possession. We as a people had no information or basis on which to attribute these unusual behaviors to anything beyond the realm of what we thought we knew, and what we knew was the Bible.
“I do strongly believe that there were many dedicated mothers and fathers who simply did not go to church. They did not want to bring their children who exhibited atypical behaviors we may now call ‘autistic.’ They simply stayed at home.”
I do strongly believe that there were many dedicated mothers and fathers who simply did not go to church. They did not want to bring their children who exhibited atypical behaviors we may now call “autistic.” They simply stayed at home. I must admit that there are many undiagnosed or misdiagnosed developmental disorders in the Black community due to the fact that very little information is targeted toward Black communities and presented in a venue like the church where it is “safe” to receive or even believe it. We now know that much is needed in the Black community to assist parents who have had to stop living their lives to provide day to day care of a child with special needs. These parents not only center their lives on the present needs of their child but also live in fear of what will happen to the child in the event of their death. Remember the movie “Radio,” in which the character’s mother died? That reality was dramatized, with a positive outcome, but we know that life does not always have a
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A Journey Into Community
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