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pains my heart that they do. All my life, I was told I had to be one
thing to get a taste of that wealth—an athlete. And more so, I was
told I couldn’t be queer to get it. My hope is that this book will show
that Black kids in any neighborhood, of any sexuality and gender,
have the aptitude to be and do anything!

While not having a major presence in the book, I also do my best
to champion the autistic community. Unlike the Black community,
which I am part of, I do not belong to the autistic community, nor
do I claim to be an expert on the subject. The autism spectrum
is not linear. Every autistic person has their own space on the autism
spectrum. If you are part of this community, you may or may
not see parts of your space represented in Matthew. Being that

this is not Matthew’s story, I do not go into much detail on how
it feels to have to navigate the world in someone like Matthew’s
shoes. And for this, I apologize, because you are beautiful and
every facet of your story deserves to be told. But it is not my place
to tell such a story. For more information on autism, and books that
deal specifically with an autistic protagonist, please visit (www.
autism-society.org).
Now, without further ado, I present to you my heart and soul—
Every Variable of Us.