Black Girl Diagnosed - Tamika Citchen Spruce

In this episode of Black Girl Diagnosed, we’re joined by disability advocate and filmmaker Tameka Citchen Spruce for a powerful conversation about advocacy, storytelling, and authentic representation.

Tameka shares her journey into disability advocacy and how filmmaking became a way to amplify disabled voices and challenge stereotypes. We also discuss her documentary, Autistic Out Loud, the inspiration behind the project, and why it was so important to center the lived experiences of autistic people through their own voices.

Together, we explore the power of media to create change, the importance of authentic disability representation, and what true inclusion looks like in film, storytelling, and society. This episode is a reminder that when disabled people are given the opportunity to tell their own stories, they have the power to educate, inspire, and transform the way the world understands disability.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about advocacy, filmmaking, and the importance of ensuring disabled voices are heard.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Welcome back to Black Girl Diagnose. Today we're joined by Tamika Spruce, a disability advocate and filmmaker dedicated to amplifying disabled voices through storytelling and advocacy. Tamika uses her work to challenge stereotypes, promote inclusion, and highlight the lives of experiences of disabled community. Through film and community engagement, she's helping create a more accessible world. And we're excited to have her join us, share her journey and the impact of her work. Thank you for joining me today, Tamika, and welcome to Black Girl Diagnosed. Thank you for having me. Absolutely, absolutely. So let's just get right into things. Um, can you tell my audience about your journey into disability advocacy and what inspired you to use filmmaking as one of your tools for change?

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Yes. So um my journey is um I have a uh spider cord injury as a result of a car accident when I was um a baby. So, you know, going through growing up with a uh disability and then also um, you know, looking at media I grew up around like the nineties. That's why vivid vividly remembers the nineties. So looking at media, there really wasn't any uh representation or stories of uh disabled people, disabled girls, black girls, black disabled people. There was nothing really there. And if it was, it definitely was not played uh by uh a dis you know, actual disabled actors. And so I really had nothing to look up to. So uh what I I always wanted to be like an artist and after theater and you know, and so I was like, okay, film is a great tool, um, to really tell our stories. And so, um that's why you know after I graduated in twenty ten with a bachelor's degree in journalism, I like I really this is my chance to really be able to do that. So and I've been blessed enough to um you know, uh be have different roles um in the uh film industry and you know have that experience and also now produce my own uh material and so um and as far as with dis uh disability advocacy, uh, you know, just which I think you're uh the you know, the viewers would definitely could definitely be identified with this. But, you know, really as a person with disability, if you want things done, you have to speak up. You have to advocate for yourself. So I really had to do that. So the start of like really my advocacy started at twelve years old when I advocated for myself to be um um mainstreamed full time. So it's in the classroom with my peers instead of what I previously had, which was be a special special education the first half and then the mainstream afterwards.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Oh, okay. Oh well that's really cool. Um I always love to hear about people, you know, advocating for themselves. Um me personally, I wasn't really able to advocate for myself um when I was like younger, like in high school, I got to high school and they had just like they put me into like an alternative school, but I didn't belong in an alternative school. So then we just decided that I was gonna be homeschooled, but I didn't know how to speak up for myself. So um you know, just hearing that other disabled people were able to advocate for it for themselves. I always love hearing that. So you created Autistic Out Loud. What inspired you to create it and what message do you hope audience would take away? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

So what inspired me uh to to produce this film is um it's really I back like a couple years ago, I did a a series, webinar series about being black and disabled. Uh, because like with my advocacy, I tend to focus more on black and brown communities, women and girls. That's my focus. And so, um I was doing this series and you know, so I gave people different perspectives um you know, with what it's like to be black and disabled. And so one of the people were uh my friend Anita Cameron, who's a really great um advocate and artistic as well. She really gave a really great insight into what it's like. Um also back in 2020, I um advocated for a black um young autistic man to uh have the charges dropped into cities. And so experiencing that and advocating for him uh really gave me uh uh understanding of what it's like how the criminal uh justice, criminal legal system works and how easy it is for um disabled people, but particularly uh autistic uh black people to get caught up into the system. And so, um, you know, having those experiences and also having friends who are very divergent and autistic. So I was like, okay, this I think this I want this to be the next story I tell because I think it's very important for again disabled stories to be told. And so I um have asked my friend uh Judy Romeo, um, and then also we brought on a director who is also uh neurodivergent at Cashmere Jasmine. And uh so we just said let's do this, let's let's do this on film, uh, to really provide um and collaborate with other, you know, disabled and autistic people to tell this stories of what it's like living that you rally between being black and autistic.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Yes, and as a filmmaker, do you think aut authentic storytelling um is important when it comes to changing the way people understand autism and disability?

SPEAKER_01 7:19

Yeah, yeah, I think it's it's definitely important to have that authentic storytelling. So that's why it's so imperative that um, you know, with even with my experience in a grassroots um advocate, activist, that you have to have the community involved. And so um, you know, that's why it's so important to have like we're gonna be we're gonna be following four people. So I you know, I want to make sure and they have a say in how the story is told and you know, uh have and also work with other people to have that authentic storytelling um is very important as well.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Yes, and um also I'm interested to know like what have you like personally learned from the autistic community throughout the making of Autistic Outloud and how has that experience influenced your advocacy?

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Yeah, um so I've learned that um which I already knew but just even deeper understanding of autism and it really is and what I hope to get out of the uh people to get out of them is the mis not believing the misinformation because there's a lot of you know, misinformation out there of what is autism, what causes autism, and you know, and and it's just people need to understand fully what it is and what the experiences are like and so like one of the things that I've learned is um that a lot of adults with um who are late diagnosed with autism, they found out the autistic through their children. And so um which, you know, makes sense because there is a genetic component uh to, you know, autism. I can see all cases, but I know for many of it it is. So um, you know, understanding that and um it it just it's really just again understand the spectrum of it as well, uh, because what I've seen and what one of the stories is that we're told telling us with Yolanda. And so Yolanda was diagnosed at um at uh 58. And so um and so you know, she talks about how sometimes people don't even believe that she has autism because that you know she she doesn't accept that the stereotypical, you know, white boy type of yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

I know all about that. Um when I first um when I first got on social media and started sharing my story, that was like some of the pushback that I got almost immediately. People were like, Well, you don't look autistic and I was you know, a lot of white people were commenting on it, and I'm like, first of all, you should not be so invested in what goes on in in black people who are autistic. I mean, it's not like a white boys only club. So I definitely understand that. Um I've I still even though now I'm actively advocating and sharing my story and doing my best to just do my part, people people are still like, well, you don't seem autistic, but I'm like, well, you guys are just kind of seeing a very small part of my life and you're seeing my advocacy, you don't see my daily struggles, you don't see the things that I need help with on a daily basis. Um, I have r I like my adaptive functioning skills, like things that should be easy for me to do are not, and I need a lot of help from my dad, and I'm not an autistic adult who can live independently safely. So people you can't tell that if you just look at my page and I feel like that is also like a stigma that people in their mind they they feel like they know what autism is supposed to look like and everybody's story is different. But um looking ahead, what changes would you like to see in the representation of autistic and disabled people in film, in media, and society as a whole?

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Yeah. So I want to see more stories, particularly more stories that are mainstreamed in the sense of like uh like for example, there's a great film, um oh my god, I can't believe this is escaping me right now. But uh it's a great film about uh a black father who has uh a child who uh has Down syndrome. And so the mother uh passed away and so uh he's the sole caregiver. And so it's really authentic, you know, uh storytelling of the young man that plays, you know, the sun he's really, you know, has Down syndrome. It's just it's a beautiful film.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

I'm gonna have to look at that. I actually have a cousin who has Down syndrome. Um, he's like 30 now and like you know, his life expectancy wasn't very long. But you know, for the situation, he is thriving. He goes to his day programs, and the funny thing is like he never forgets a face and he's like the sweetest person. So I'm I need to look that up. I want to see that. Yeah, yeah, I can't believe it forgot.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

I posted a matter on my Facebook and everything. But yeah, so so you know, seeing more stories like on Netflix and you know, different places, um, and then also telling putting, you know, funny and disabled people's hands so that we can tell the story too. Yeah. Uh layer that you know, because it is so hard. Ray C Money is so hard uh getting funny to to produce quality work and uh and so uh the people who really get the funding are people who's like the most connected and it's just it's a whole thing that goes into it. So uh, you know, we need money as disabled filmmakers to tell our stories as well.

SPEAKER_00 14:22

Yeah, and I feel like I mean you would think in 2026 there would be like more opportunities. Like sometimes when it comes to like mainstream media and the opportunities that they give to people but they don't include disabled people, that that is something that really disappoints me. But um do you have wrapping things up, um, do you have any recent projects you'd like to share with us?

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Um, so uh again, you know, autistic out loud. We uh we looking to start filming, so we haven't, you know, got it to production yet, but definitely I want people to check it out. We have a a trailer uh or teaser uh so uh people can uh check that out. I'm also uh doing producing a well it turns uh it was a digital series, but it's kinda like a media platform now, but it's called uh Teasers of the City TV. So that tells uh there's different uh well it's for four women and with disabilities, black women. And you kinda see behind the scenes of, you know, their life and how they run their businesses and and such and what they they do and I really want I've used the platform to tell more stories of um you know, on social media of black and brown women with disabilities.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

So between those two projects uh keeps me really busy. That's awesome. Um, what do you want people to take away from this interview?

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Um, just the the I would say the power of stories and how definitely would encourage, you know, anyone to um you know it's easier to tell your story now. You know, you have, you know, like the phone, you have um there's different apps that you can use that's pretty, you know, easy to use. And so, you know, don't be afraid to grab the camera or uh, you know, grab your phone and and and you know, use your social media. You do a really great job, you know, with yeah, use your social media page, you know, don't be afraid to use your voice and tell your story, uh, because there's people waiting, you know, to to to hear it, and that's what I hope to do um, you know, with um we as a team with uh Autistic Out Loud is just to give people a perspective of what it's like and to really kind of move the needle um around awareness and create more seclusion and um joy, because that's important as well uh through the film. But uh yeah, just don't don't be afraid to use your voice and tell your story.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

Absolutely. And and like with me, like when I started like just sharing my story, I didn't think anything would come of it. I was just, you know, I was just newly accepting my diagnosis and I just started sharing my story and then people just I didn't really think anybody was listening, I didn't think anybody cared. But then I just started getting like invited on podcasts and I started getting like um honored and like um getting proclamations and just being asked to be a part of like some great things and I d I just never expected any of that to happen. I was just sharing my story and looking for community.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Yes, yes, yes, yeah. This you never know what it could get you and that's that is a great way to have community. Community is definitely important, so Yes, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

So can you tell everyone where they can find you?

SPEAKER_01 18:32

Yeah, so you can find me um on the uh Facebook on LinkedIn, uh Tabeka Citrus Spruce and then also uh follow um Autistic Out Loud uh documentary, Autistic, not autism, because there's autism out loud, but autistic Yeah, I think I saw that.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

It's a bunch of white ladies, I think.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So Autistic Out Loud and on Instagram and YouTube. You can see on our YouTube there's a five-part series, uh, you know, so for different advocates. So I definitely recommend people checking that out on our YouTube page. And then you've got Divis in the City TV and it's all over. Just type it up and you'll find it.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Thank you so much, Tamika, for sharing your powerful story and for joining me today and sharing your wisdom with me and with my audience. Um, to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to Black Girl Diagnosed. I really appreciate you being here, hanging in there on the weeks that I don't put episodes out. But just know that I will always be back. So until next time, take care and keep advocating with love.