Black and White

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I have found similarities in my struggles to the African American struggle for civil rights. I come from a northeastern city where I grew up with kids of all racial backgrounds. We were taught to respect one another and we were educated as equals.

I moved out west to Nevada and found radically different racial demographics and attitudes. I only met one black man during my first month here, eighteen years ago, and that was at a car dealership.

When I worked in the public schools in Nevada, I was alerted to racism and it really bothered me. Black teachers complained to me about being treated unfairly. Where I come from, the black people I knew were sharp and determined. I felt like I was in a time warp.

Then, when I got hired by a public charter school in Nevada, I started liking famous rap stars, (among other people on Twitter, not of color), and my coworkers found out. I think they were afraid violence would follow me or something, because I saw a shift in how they treated me afterwards.

African Americans have a wonderful, vibrant history. I think black people are people like everyone else. Some are nicer than others, just like white people. It's not 1925 anymore. Black people are now savvy businesspeople and politicians. They're models and professionals. They go to college. I can't say the same for the ASD community. And I can only imagine how hard it must be sometimes for people of mixed race.

What people need to realize is that the problem has and always will be rooted in ignorance and morals. Racists of all skin colors are ignorant, and they prevent the less fortunate from reaching their potential.

While the black struggle has and will always matter, I'm still a white Jew with ASD. I deserve to have my own identity.

I'm a little confused what you're asking us. Is your question about race relations or religion?

I think the OP is trying to equate the struggles of those on the spectrum with people of colour (POC)

I've always maintained that a neurodiverse community needs to be inclusive of everyone. Otherwise we are playing the "oppression olympics" or we drift into the orbit of NTs in terms of treating others less fortunate the same way NTs do.

Well, I ticked "Taoism" because although I was brought up in the Christian tradition, I found reading the I Ching very helpful when I was having personal struggles.
But I'm not sure that my preference is much related to issues of race or autistic acceptance.
It was simply that it provided me with an alternative perspective on how to deal with difficulties, when conventional (western) strategies were failing me.

It says up three options so in order of plausibility
1. atheism
2. hinduism
3. buddhism

I am not completely certain what OP is talking about, but making stringent comparisons between race and ASD does more harm than good imo.

I am also not certain why we're talking about religion here, either.

I identify most with Christianity, as it was taught by the Christ (Matthew 5:1 to 7:28), followed by a form of "Zen Judaism" (If the self is an illusion, then whose arthritis is this?).  Sadly, being only human, I have stopped trying to be the perfect Christian.  Because, if I didn't, many of the "real" Christians I've met would try to nail me to a cross.

Concept of zen is actually a syncretic philosophy that has its roots in south indian indigenous spirituality

So I suppose I should say my preferences are
1. atheism
2. hybrid philosophies
3. buddhism

Come to think of it, Taoism is not a theist religion in the sense of worshipping gods, it is more of a life philosophy.
So I probably should have ticked "atheism" also.

PPR?

Yes.
The translation of the I Ching that I've read refers often to "The Sage" - but I believe it's a sort of generic personification of wisdom.
The intent is to strive to act in the manner of a wise person.

I read a lot of this in my 20s but my understanding is that Taoism was originally an indigenous philosophy that was similar to animism and shamanism found throughout east Asia.

Through contact with buddhism it became a fully fledged philosophy that borrowed heavily from the Indian import by anointing saints/monks, vegetarianism, mind control, transmigration of the soul. The latter borrowed the Indian concept of avatar who is continually renborn to help mankind. This concept ironically also influenced judaism islam and christianity in the idea that prophets would be born who lead mankind into a new phase.

The cartoon series Avatar is borrowed from Taoism but is infact a buddhist concept - the Tibetan Mahayana buddhists literally believe the dalai lama is an avatar.

[Moved from Autism Politics, Activism, and Media Representation to PPR]

I think you know more about it than me, I don't know the background.
My uneducated impression of the Taoist teachings is that it is similar to Christianity in the sense of providing guidance in how to get along harmoniously with other people.
However, the emphasis in Christianity is on being charitable to others and a "good person", the emphasis in Taoism is a bit more inward-looking, in terms of learning to accept and cope with life's challenges.
It seems a bit more prescriptive also - not just telling us in general terms to be nice to people, but explaining how a wise person might control their own thoughts and behaviours to be able to do that.

There are of course all kinds of religious and ceremonial trappings that go along with Taoism, and but I don't bother with the window-dressing. (Apart from having a fondness for the Yin-Yang symbol).

It is very generous to allow 3 options at the same time.

BTW, I believe that Taoism as a distinct philosophy/religion was likely established by the Dao de Jing by Lao Tzu and the Zhuangzi by Zhuang Zhou. The I Ching precedes both these works (by centuries), but it is also a precursor to Confucianism.

However, given that Taoism is largely a folk religion, it is likely misleading to define it purely on the basis of written (and often highly abstract) scripture. Taoism doesn't adhere to the same rigid canonical literature that make (made?) up Confucianism.

Oh, and Zhuangzi + Mahayana Buddhism = Chan (Zen) Buddhism.