Amelia Peace

Amelia Peace (July 28, 1984 – 2024) ^[1][2] was an American author, autism advocate, business owner, and homeschooling parent based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ^[3][4]. She was widely recognized as the author of the children's inclusion book, Alone Bird: A Story About Autism (2021), which was inspired by her daughter Robyn, who is non-verbal and has autism paired with other rare medical conditions ^[3][5]. Peace was the founder of Berry Berry Autism Publishing and the Instagram community #childrensauthorloop ^[4][6].

Early life and education

Amelia Peace was born and raised in Milwaukee's Marquette neighborhood ^[3]. As a child, she was an eager student who filled her journals with poems and short stories, and participated in the Super Reader Squad, science club, journalism, and creative writing programs ^[4]. She graduated from Alverno College in Milwaukee ^[4].

Writing and publication

Alone Bird: A Story About Autism

Peace's debut book, Alone Bird: A Story About Autism, was published on February 2, 2021, by her own company, Berry Berry Autism Publishing ^[5][7]. The book follows a young girl named Tilly Bird who has autism and experiences highs and lows throughout her school day ^[8]. Written from the perspective of a child with autism, the story addresses issues such as anxiety, ADHD, and learning delays, and aims to help readers understand the internal emotions of a child with autism ^[3][9].

Peace wrote the book as a therapeutic outlet and to give her non-verbal daughter a voice ^[3]. She took about six weeks to write the story and seven months to revise it before seeking publication ^[3]. The book features illustrations by Georgina Vaughan ^[10] and has received praise for its simple language and captivating illustrations that provide a clear narrative about autism for young readers ^[10].

Berry Berry Autism Publishing

After struggling to find a publisher for her book, Peace established her own publishing company, Berry Berry Autism Publishing, in 2020 ^[4]. In August 2019, she also created #childrensauthorloop on Instagram, a community designed to link authors with book-related social media contacts ^[6][4].

Advocacy and civic engagement

Peace was a dedicated autism advocate who championed the voices of children on the spectrum and those with other related conditions ^[4]. She found it difficult at times to explain the challenges kids with autism, like her daughter Robyn, face daily, and she wrote her book to help bridge that gap ^[3]. She advocated for individuals on the spectrum and other conditions related to autism ^[4]. Peace was also a homeschooling parent who decided to pull her daughter out of school to give her the best education possible ^[3]. Her goal for Alone Bird was to showcase that "we all have similarities, we just respond in a different way" ^[9].

In 2022, Peace ran for public office, entering the special nonpartisan primary election for the Milwaukee Common Council to represent District 2 ^[1]. She ran as a write-in candidate in the primary on August 9, 2022 ^[1]. As part of her campaign, she completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, where she highlighted her family values, her advocacy work, and her commitment to proactive leadership ^[1]. One of her key policy priorities was increasing funding and resources for the education and retraining of police officers to better handle interactions with individuals with addictions, mental health crises, and disabilities ^[1]. Mark Chambers Jr. and Jerel Ballard advanced from the primary, and Peace did not proceed to the general election ^[1].

Peace shared her expertise with the homeschooling community, notably presenting a workshop titled "Tailoring Your Homeschooling to Your Child's Special Needs" for Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES). This presentation was featured on the organization's podcast, Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling ^[11].

Media appearances and recognition

Peace's work was featured in several publications and television programs, including Milwaukee's NPR Lake Effect, Alverno College Newsletter, Milwaukee Public Schools Alumni Newsletter, Milwaukee's 102.5FM, Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars Parent Group, Milwaukee's PBS Black Nouveau, Our Issues on CW18 Milwaukee, Fox6 News Milwaukee, and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service ^[4][3].

References