Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Boyd.
Hi Marcus, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Who am I more than just an African American, who am I more than an individual that grew up in poverty, who am I more than just hopes and dreams, I am a 39-year-old that is proud to have Autism? My name is Marcus Leonardo Boyd I was born in Atlanta and raised between Atlanta and Brooklyn NY.
I have a Northern Swag but I can cook a southern meal, I come from drugs watered cereal Fein’s in front of your door moms had 22 mouths to feed so it was hard to focus on one that was different, I was diagnosed with Autism April 12th, 1993 by Dr. King at Clifton springs mental health center I was 10 I was nonverbal until I was 13 or 13 1/2 years old I started to speak and have my actions be on a 2-year-old level I didn’t start speaking as I do now until I was 18 years old, image with me a kid with no voice growing up in the 1990s in Atlanta and Brooklyn in the projects it was super hard I stand getting beat up and made fun of looked at like I was a walking disease what made it worst was some of my brothers was joining in.
I mean I was on so many different medications I couldn’t think for myself it was so hard to function it’s like I was a zombie on walking dead before the show, during this time I’m getting physically abused sexually abused nobody is expecting me or want me around I’m using the bathroom on myself I’m closing myself in rooms I’m in corners I’m rocking I’m jumping on people scratching them biting them I’m hearing voices I’m in 17 foster homes 16 group homes 16 mental institutions 4 inpatient centers I’m going through all of this while still getting electric shock therapy for refusing to take my medications this is just a piece of what I went through before I became a 13x award-winning music Producer and Composer.
A person that’s been nominated for Grammys and other music awards a person that is the very first African American to have 4 about to be 5 awards for being an autism activist a person that the library of congress in 2023 will be honoring and inducting into black history books as an autism activist a person that has clothing and a shoe line a person that has the very first ever spiritual tennis shoe called: G Soles a person that has a couple of coloring books and a short film about his life with Autism and has an action figure doll but my story is not over its only beginning with God anything is possible and diagnoses or a disability won’t stop me it will only make me become greater follow me in this interview and learn who autism activist Marcus Boyd truly is.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
You know I promise I could be here all day talking about how many struggles I have been through how I get tried on a daily and I mean a daily basis. To give examples struggling with money sometimes struggling to eat not knowing if you gonna get a shirt or a pair of pants having to stretch 50 dollars for the week. See in my life I never got the silver platter so I don’t know what that feels like.
I always had to hustle and grind to get it out of the Mudd, whichever way I just know I was tired of starving see in this life no one gives you a book on what you suppose to do they only tell you what you can’t do what you not going to do, I mean I had old heads speaking wisdom to me but I wasn’t listening I even had a brother that Gave me money put me in a job position at red lobster but I walked off because the streets were more important welfare became my wife and poverty became my God I didn’t see anything passed that so I struggled along time with myself my emotions the place I was at and how I was living see struggle don’t always come when someone else does something to you it can come when you do things to yourself my biggest struggle was laziness not wanting different believing I was a failure so how can I ask God for a blessing when I’m not going to follow through.
I also used not having a lot of money as a weapon for me not to push towards my greatness I didn’t understand that once you give it totally to God then he will move the mountain not us til this day sometimes I’m still working on that I didn’t have the faith that I was supposed to I believed in right now not what’s to come I didn’t stand on his promise or word I stood on what the OGs taught me if you don’t get it you don’t eat so I spent most of my life going the wrong direction because the devil was my GPS I’m not saying I don’t have struggles now but when I do I know for sure who to call and who has my back.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a teacher a motivator I am a student I am a wisdom and knowledge provider I am a testimony announcer I am a goal driven legacy building empire receiving individual, I have no quit spirit I am an international motivational Autism Activist and Speaker I use my testimony and story to give hope and encouragement and put a light on the darkness of you have autism so you can’t do such and such you will never achieve anything.
I fight for new laws and rights and programs and benefits that will enhance the next generation and the low-income families worldwide that IA part of the autism communities I am a creator I am a musical genius and I use my gifted and talents to show what you can do while having Autism I am a boss and an empire and a legacy and to be honest I am a force to be reckoned with.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory was going to the beach with my brothers going to the hawk’s games and brave games with any behavior aid going skating and dancing at block parties and going to the movies and just living life as much as I could with having Autism my childhood was very brutal but just being around my grandma when she went to bingo helping her play bingo and watching TV with her and going food shopping with her just having that one on one time meant the world to me
Contact Info:
- Website: autismactivistmarcusb.com
- Instagram: @marcus_the_interviewer
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02ktEuHNkromTTKqhvdSokugLadz1uqHvrU1AWh88bTN86z7Whjp5NYL6e5k96WUmil&id=100009450426523
