Ava Hawkins founded Blake’s Place for Diverse Scholars, Athletes, and Cultural Artists, which provides a safe space for education and training to help those who work in Chicago’s communities be allies and generally supportive for children and youth on the autistic spectrum and their families. A proud wife, mother, caretaker, and autism advocate, Hawkins understands that Black and brown autistic youth are often overlooked as they grow, and are frequently undervalued as well as under-protected to the point they become victims of crime on one end as well as police brutality on the other.