Timothy Boykin: A Rising Star

TikTok isn't just a place for dance trends and dumb jokes; it's a place where people from different communities can express themselves and spread awareness about the issues that they face. Just about every marginalized group from the black community to the LGBT community has used the platform to speak out and spread proper information. Another group that has used the app to spread awareness is the autism community, which I just so happen to be a part of. Back in August of 2019, I came across a video of a black autistic guy dancing around while subtitles displayed some of the things that he struggles with like focusing and making friends. The video concluded with subtitles saying that he was still talented and intelligent even with all those struggles. I didn't know any other autistics on TikTok, so I followed him. He followed me back and he is now one of my best friends, even though we still haven't met in person. His advocacy for autistics and all-around good attitude has garnered him about fifty-five thousand followers, and he is loved by the autistic community for using his voice to advocate for them. For this story, I interviewed (via video chat) an individual that the world needs to know. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome singer, actor, author, activist, and living inspiration Timothy "Tim" Boykin to the stage.

When Tim was four years old, his mom noticed that he wasn't speaking to the other kids. After taking him to an ABA therapist, he was diagnosed with Asperger's, although I should point out that he currently prefers to be referred to as "autistic" since Asperger's was named after a Nazi doctor who experimented on autistic children. Like most children on the spectrum, some grown-ups made some rather negative predictions about Tim's future like how he was never going to be married or successful. Someone also said that he would probably need a helmet to wear in class so that he wouldn't hurt himself as he banged his head in autistic frustration. This was Tim's form of stimming, which is the repetition of movements and sayings that autistics do whenever they feel overwhelmed. He later shifted from banging and hitting his head to flapping his hands around, which is the most common form of stimming. Although he was no longer hurting himself, his mom grew frustrated and yelled at him to stop flapping his hands. Needing a new way to stim, he turned to singing after hearing a little song on the radio called "Ms. Jackson" by Outkast. "I was just a kid, so it was mostly gibberish," Tim shared with me. "Instead of singing 'I am for real', I'd sing 'wha wha wha wheel'." While some autistic people's forms of stimming develop over time, Tim had been singing as a form of stimming ever since.

It wasn't until the age of ten when Tim finally learned the truth. He had just come home from school after a bad day and asked his mom why he went to speech classes. “Tim, you have Asperger's," she explained to him. "You're socially awkward, you talk a lot about yourself than you do about others, and you focus your eyes on different places.” At that point, Tim was being bullied for singing all the time, and the kids actually called him the dreaded r slur that we autistics have heard at least once in our lives. "The kids were right," Tim remembered saying. "I am r*t*rded." Shocked by her son's declaration, she told him to see the positive side of autism and reminded him that he was an excellent storyteller. This reminder inspired him to write a book called Timster's World: So What Makes You So Special?, which can currently be purchased on Amazon. It received positive reviews, and a book-signing banquet was thrown for the eleven-year-old author. Although he was a little overwhelmed, his mom gently reminded him, "People are here for you." While this book was inspired by Tim's childhood, his upcoming second book, We're So Amazing, will focus on everything that has happened in his life since the release of his first book. Tim hopes that his new book, which will be available on Amazon somewhere near the end of February or beginning of March, will inspire autistics to be proud of themselves.

Tim was first introduced to TikTok back in December of 2018 by an ex-girlfriend. At first, he wasn't convinced to join due to his viewing of some cringy TikTok compilations, but he soon gave in and made a video of himself wearing a Deadpool costume and holding a Wolverine action figure. Fast forward to August 2019, and Tim is posting a video of him explaining why neurotypicals should date autistics as "Eenie Meenie" by Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber plays. It earned the young TikToker nearly two million views and ten thousand followers, but the audio was sadly removed thanks to copyright. Despite this, Tim has since attracted an army of autistic followers who look up to him. “I do have a responsibility to be a blessing,” he confesses. “I feel happy and grateful because I can truly have fun with other people.” Even with the small amount of TikTok fame, Tim doesn’t see himself as superior. One time, he followed this one girl who didn’t have too many followers compared to him, and it turned out that she was already following him. Shocked, she messaged him, “Why are you following me? You’re a big creator.” That’s when it finally hit him that he wasn’t a small creator on the app anymore. When I asked him if he had any future goals on the app, he said that he hopes to reach a hundred thousand followers, and he wishes to be famous in other places outside of the app as an actor or singer.

Before Tim was diagnosed, his mom took him to see Spider-Man. She not only noticed that this was the quietest he had ever been, but also that he was thoroughly enjoying every second of the movie. "There was something about the movie experience that I vibed with," he stated. The young TikToker and the web-slinger had many things in common as they were both bullied in school, have certain abilities that not many people have, and wish to make a difference in the world. My friend has certainly become a superhero in the autistic TikTok community with his advocacy for autistics and BIPOC. “Ever since I wrote my book, I wanted to speak about how autistic people can be just as awesome as neurotypical people.” His advocacy means a lot to him, especially as he shared with me that the life expectancy for autistics is between thirty and fifty years. Last year, he wrote a song called "Belong", which can be found on Spotify. The track was made in response to the BLM movement and the increasing amount of ableism on social media. The artist felt as though he has two targets on his back since he's black and disabled, so he asked himself, "Where do I belong?" Influenced by the Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and Childish Gambino, Tim hopes to change the world with his music as well as his TikTok videos and books.

I've met a plethora of autistic TikTokers over the past year and a half, but I probably would've never met them if Tim hadn't introduced me to them. He is one of the most dedicated autistic advocates on the app today, and he has truly inspired me ever since the day we met. I know that he's going to make an even bigger impact on the world in the future, and we both agree that something big is going to happen. The last thing I asked him was what his end goal as an advocate is, and he simply told me, "I want autistic people to love themselves."