By Tawanda W. Johnson
Special to the AFRO
While growing up in McElderry Park in Baltimore during the 1980s, Devan Southerland’s mother, Debra Sorrell, taught her valuable lessons about advocacy.
Not only did Sorrell take a bad landlord to court, but she wrote a letter to the mayor about her concerns with the city housing department. She also advocated for her daughter when teachers refused to believe that Southerland couldn’t see from the back of the room.
“When I think of activism, I think about it in the most barebones way of speaking up for yourself,” Southerland told the AFRO, recalling the actions of her mother.
At the heart of her mother’s advocacy, Sutherland says there was a simple wish: to ensure that her children grew up feeling “safe and secure.”
Those early advocacy lessons inspired Southerland who, in 2015, started Brown on the Spectrum as an online support for Black moms with autistic children. Her son Liam, 16, was diagnosed with autism at age four.
“When my son was three, he didn’t ask a lot of questions. He would repeat commercials,” Southerland remembered.
For support, she searched for groups of Black moms with autistic children, but was unsuccessful, so she started her own organization.
“It began as a place where parents could find a picture of a Brown child who is autistic, with resources and services,” said Southerland, adding that her Facebook group now boasts more than 1,200 followers.
Southerland also drew inspiration from her mom who raised three children amid many challenges, including learning how to address the special needs of her younger sister Alesha, who is autistic.
Both Sorrell and Southerland sought help through Kennedy Krieger Institute, a nonprofit organization in Baltimore that helps children and young adults with special needs.
As Liam grew older and completed his service-learning hours for high school graduation, Brown on the Spectrum expanded to help families connect with community organizations willing to help autistic children learn job skills.
“I like working with Brown on the Spectrum because it’s fun. It most definitely helps me to get good work experience,” said Liam, who aspires to attend Coppin State University. The teen is interested in careers in law enforcement and real estate.
To further the goal of working with community groups, last fall, Southerland received a $60,000 fellowship from Open Society Institute-Baltimore (OSI), which supports activists who are doing the necessary work in underserved communities in the city.
She also serves as a board member on Itineris, an organization in Baltimore that supports adults with autism.
“Devan has been a very important voice in getting out information to her followers about Itineris and many options that they may not be aware of for support,” said Ami Taubenfeld, the organization’s executive director.
In 2024, Southerland shows no plans of slowing down– especially now that she is an OSI fellow, which she says has given her “the opportunity to speak and connect with larger organizations that are doing great work for young people and adults with autism.”
