Bill Myers Inspires  Recently I was the guest on the podcast TonioTimeDaily hosted by Mr. Antonio Myers. He is a brilliant young black man with Autism and he wanted to be a guest on my show. I am happy to have Antonio as my guest and eager to explore the topic of autism and how it affects the black people in America. As a child, other kids tossed epithets my way “out in public” during middle and high school, such as “dumb,” “stupid,” “lazy,” even “retarded.” Once, someone told me that I should be “shut up in a basement.” My friends and I had to defend each other with words seasoned with grace because of the cruelty. I am considered high-functioning on the Autism spectrum. I was unable to speak until the age of four when I was in kindergarten and said my first words: “Stop bullying my friend.” “Educational experts” compared me to a vegetable and believed in the worst in me. I was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder and although I tried to attend my neighborhood schools, “it wasn’t the best fit.” Most schools in the American education system and most jobs in the American work force can’t service me well because of their lack of understanding of gifted extraordinary people such as myself. I am a high school valedictorian (4.0 in eleventh grade), college graduate (bachelors in Human Services and minor in Psychology, commencement speaker at the ages of 14 and 23, international traveler and I am a designated disability services provider by the DC Department of Disability Services. https://play.acast.com/s/toniotime-1  *Listen now on the Inspired Choices Network app!  https://linktr.ee/inspiredchoicesnetwork ~ More About Bill Myers Inspires ~  Emmy Award-winning actor Bill Myers is an accomplished actor, jazz musician, filmmaker, writer, educator, and speaker. As a bi-racial man who is both black and white, Bill leverages his background, talents, and voice through creativity, compassion, and connection as activism for social justice to focus on uniting the divide and compelling change. In a civic leadership capacity, he has served as President of the African American Jazz Caucus in NYC, member of the Indianapolis Cultural Development Committee, and served as President of the Indianapolis Downtown Optimist Club. In addition to his Emmy Award, Bill has received many awards and notable commissions for his work including being commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art to create an original work for Dr. Martin Luther King Day entitled “The Music, Martin & Me.” Bill Myers seeks to encourage, enlighten, and empower others through the power of entertainment to affect social justice. You can find Bill Myers: Billmyersinspires.com   https://www.facebook.com/billmyersinspires  https://twitter.com/bmyersinspires1 https://www.instagram.com/billmyersinspires billmyersinspires@gmail.com To get more of Bill Myers Inspires, be sure to visit the podcast page for replays of all her shows here: https://www.inspiredchoicesnetwork.com/podcast/bill-myers-inspires/