BmoreArt

“That’s what I want for people to see in my work, these very uncurated, unfiltered moments of joy,” says White-Johnson. This intention inspired KnoxRoxs, a photo zine published by Homie House Press that White-Johnson created with Knox’s dad, Kevin Johnson Jr. It documents six years of her son’s life, examining what she advocates is “the light and love a child can bring if you sit, look, and listen.” Toward the effort to increase visibility for Black and Brown children in Autistic and Neurodivergent communities, White-Johnson believes documenting our loved ones provides a richer understanding and celebration of their unique experiences.

It is also “the opportunity to just love on them,” says White-Johnson. “I want Knox to see beautiful, joyful, positive, impactful representations of who he is.”

White-Johnson credits much of her talent in cultural, visual, spatial, and experiential design to her childhood backdrop, growing up with Sunday School teacher parents—her Puerto Rican mother and her father from Chicago’s South Side. Her parents instilled core lessons in her, from going in for hugs with safe people to soaking in wonder and color. Her father’s extensive album collection—including Earth, Wind and Fire, P-Funk, progressive rock, jazz fusion, and gospel—left a lasting impression with its eye-catching artwork.

“He told me so many stories of his bachelor pad in DC, where he would draw murals on the walls while listening to albums,” says White-Johnson, reflecting on her father’s current struggle with mild cognitive impairment. “You need to lean on that art,” she tells him, inspired by her early love for arts and crafts introduced by her mother, who led children’s church ministry and engaged in various creative activities.

White-Johnson’s mother also crafted capias, traditional Puerto Rican or Caribbean wedding favors. For her wedding, over 200 capias featured her and her husband’s names and wedding date—a practice and theme White-Johnson holds dear.

“The mother has to be the crafter,” White-Johnson says, enjoying handcrafting birthday invitations for Knox, syllabi zines for her students, and other tangible items. “It’s like therapy for me.” 

Throughout our conversation, White-Johnson describes herself as a movement worker and heart worker, emphasizing her dedication to sharing knowledge and fostering meaningful connections. For her, being an educator is more than just a profession; it’s a core part of her life approach, influenced by Black Disabled ancestors such as Fannie Lou Hamer, activist Bradley Lomax, and friends like Alice Wong, author of Disability Visibility.

“She’s been a huge inspiration and light for me, reminding me that my stories are important and encouraging me not to let anyone hinder me from sharing them,” says White-Johnson about her friendship with Wong, who has also inspired her work with The Society of Disabled Oracles: an innovative project created by Wong and Aimi Hamraie, with visual design by White-Johnson. In gathering and showcasing telegrams written by Disabled oracles, offering insights, truths, prophecies, and warnings to the world, the project functions as a “living chorus and archive of Disabled wisdom” spanning the past, present, and future. 

White-Johnson underscores the importance of drawing on the wisdom of ancestors like Harriet Tubman, who she views as a Disabled oracle. “She’s someone who was abundant in her ability to liberate so many of us.” 

Though Harriet Tubman is often celebrated as an iconic figure in American history, White-Johnson advocates that her legacy as a Disabled leader and visionary deserves more recognition. Tubman, who sustained a traumatic head injury during her enslavement, experienced epileptic seizures that many interpreted as moments of divine revelation. Her visions and spiritual insights guided her actions in ways that resonate with White-Johnson. Despite the immense physical and psychological trauma Tubman and oftentimes other Disabled folks endure, Tubman transformed her experiences into a profound source of strength, liberating countless enslaved individuals and embodying resilience. 

In gaining a deeper understanding of the extraordinary abilities and the ways in which so-called limitations are in fact a source of empowerment for Disabled folks, the recontextualization challenges us as an audience and world to honor the contributions of Disabled figures throughout history and in our future.

When we recognize the wisdom and power that emerge from the lived experiences of Disabled individuals, we can create a more inclusive world. Increasing awareness would also reduce many of the risks they currently face—such as wrongful detentions and other harms caused by law enforcement who misinterpret an Autistic person’s self-soothing behavior or are lacking an ASL interpreter to communicate with a Deaf person. 

White-Johnson explains that’s why her work is rooted in cultural design as well as visual design. She wants to make sure that her son Knox and Disabled folks all over the world feel that they’re respected and valued and depicted in joyful representations.

From the challenges of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and autism, White-Johnson now celebrates the beauty in what others might see as symptoms. Sharing these insights, and genuine, authentic moments through her work, she hopes to amplify her vision of true justice. “Whether it’s a white kid, a Black kid, or a Latino kid looking at my work, they see Knox drawing or blowing bubbles, and they think, ‘I do that too,’” says White-Johnson. “Or if an adult looks at a photo like that and says, ‘I see so much of myself in that picture,’ it brings me joy.”