Voices Newsletter February 2020

Leony Calderón, a longtime resident of the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University with a BA in Community Health. She has worked with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) since the early 90’s; primarily in the implementation process of Public Health Initiative programs. Since 1990, she has been a community activist and leader on issues related to social justice, human rights and health disparities in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago.
In 2005, due to her own health issues, she created a physical activity program and called it “Muévete”. She has worked with the PRCC to expand and disseminate this program, which is the most well-known FREE physical activity program in the Greater Humboldt Park neighborhood. The Muévete program has expanded from a walking group into a full physical activity program that currently serves the Greater Humboldt Park Community, with the collaboration of the PRCC and the Chicago Park District.
As a result of this work, the Muévete program was featured in the book, Urban Health: Combating Disparities with Local Data (Whitman, 2010). Her work with Muévete has also been featured in the New York Times (Reaves, 2010) as part of the description of a community study on health disparities conducted by the Sinai Urban Health Institute. She is the author of the Muévete Manual; Muévete, Movement for a Healthier Life (2008). In addition Ms. Calderón has been a volunteer coordinator of the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade of Chicago since 2002.

Q: Where did you see the greatest health inequities when you started your work? How did these disparities affect the communities that you serve?
A: Unfortunately, because we live in a colonial system, my community suffers from many unnatural caused health issues. Health services and the opportunity for quality health care for people of color is colossal. I think my true leadership and activism, in terms of health, started with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 90s. Services that catered to people who looked and talked like me did not exist. The PRCC took it upon themselves to develop much needed services in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. However, diseases often do not exist independently of each other, and other illnesses will likely follow. In my personal case, it was obesity with the potential of all the health issues that obesity impacts like hypertension, diabetes type 2, heart disease, high cholesterol, insomnia, depression, stiff joints, and pain. This was the premise in creating the Muévete physical activity program to address physical activity in the fight against obesity and all the onset illnesses that accompany it.

Q: What do you view as the greatest need now? How do you incorporate health equity in the work you do?
A: All the above-mentioned are issues that are constantly affecting my community and as mentioned, often times no one health issue exists in a silo. However, based on my experience working in my community within the public health field, I would say that mental health is at the top of the list. I work for a not-for profit grassroots organization that provides the community with free, attainable health services. Incorporating health equity is the definition of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Inclusive of Muévete, PRCC runs on 100% volunteer efforts, collaboration from other entities, and individuals.

Q: What direction do you think health equity work needs to take to achieve health for all?
A: Policy change that is inclusive of all: education, job opportunities, affordable and attainable housing, and health services. Everything is interconnected when achieving health equity. We can have all the programs in the world to “benefit” underserved communities but new policies need to be implemented, or old ones need to be revised to reflect the real issues that plague communities of color, starting with colonialism.

Q: How can other hidden figures collaborate to amplify their impact on health equity?
A: This is a good question, which honestly I have no answer for. However, I will say that it will take more than hidden figures to ensure health equity for all, especially in the political climate we find ourselves in nowadays. We all need to work together with our elective officials to ensure policies are not being overlooked and new policies are being established.

Q: What does being recognized as a Health Equity Hidden Figure mean to you? Who are your Hidden Figures?
A: I’m not sure, I didn’t know I was a hidden figure. However, I do like to work behind the scenes, no pun intended. To me it’s all about the work and the effectiveness of that work.
I think everyone that works in the health field, especially at the community level whose work reflects a practice of human right advocacy, social justice, who often are overworked, underpaid, who sacrifice their personal time and personal resources to ensure the work and services are delivered, are all my Hidden Figures.

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