Sometimes the most powerful movements start with a single moment. For Camille Proctor, that moment came in 2008, when a doctor diagnosed her two-year-old son with autism. What she discovered next would set her on an unexpected path: Black families like hers were falling through the cracks of America’s autism support system.
Most people would have just focused on their own family’s needs. Not Camille. By 2009, she had founded The Color of Autism Foundation, a nonprofit that would become a lifeline for countless African American families navigating the complexities of autism spectrum disorders. Her mission wasn’t just about awareness – it was about empowerment. She wanted parents to spot the early signs, to fight for their children, to become the advocates their kids desperately needed.
But that was just the beginning.
Think of Camille as a bridge builder. She’s pushed open doors in Hollywood, advising TV and film producers on how to portray autism authentically. She’s crossed oceans, working with Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Holding Company to shape their Annual Autism Conference since 2018. When she speaks, people listen – from corporate boardrooms to government chambers.
In 2020, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed her to the State Disability Council. That same year, as America grappled with questions of police reform, Camille penned a powerful CNN essay about Walter Wallace, forcing us to confront the intersection of autism, race, and law enforcement.
She’s not just talking about change – she’s creating it. In 2022, she co-authored groundbreaking research on autism parent training specifically for Black families. She’s armed herself with knowledge, earning a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University in 2023, and later, a Strategy Execution Certificate from Harvard.
The accolades have followed. The Boris L. Henson Foundation honored her with their 2023 Joy Award. Crain’s Detroit Business named her a Notable Leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Her appointment to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee in 2023 put her at the table where national autism policy takes shape. Most recently, the HollyRod Foundation celebrated her work at their prestigious Design Care Event in September 2024, recognizing her tireless dedication to autism advocacy.
But here’s what makes Camille Proctor different: she turned her personal challenge into a movement. What started as one mother’s fight for her son has grown into a force for change, touching families across America and beyond. She’s living proof that sometimes, the most powerful advocates are born not from ambition, but from necessity – from that moment when you realize that if you don’t stand up and do something, maybe nobody will.
For more information about Camille’s work and initiatives, visit her website at www.camilleproctor.com.
