Mirtha Colón
Mirtha Colón | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 18, 1951 |
| Nationality | Honduran, American |
| Occupation(s) | social worker, activist |
| Years active | 1984-present |
| Known for | Garifuna preservation |
Mirtha Colón(born May 18, 1951) is aHonduran-bornGarifunaactivist and social worker who assistsCaribbeanmigrants inThe Bronxand travels widely supporting the issues ofHIVprevention,sex educationand cultural preservation. In 2012, she was recognized by theNew York State Legislaturefor her service to theAfrican diasporain the state.
Early life
[edit]Mirtha Colón was born on May 18, 1951, inTrujilloon the Caribbean coast in theColón DepartmentofHonduras.She is ofGarifunaheritage. With her mother and older sister, Colón moved often in her youth, traveling between urban centers along the coastal region of Honduras living in cities such asLa CeibaandSan Pedro Sula.In 1962, Colón's oldest sister moved to The Bronx, where a large expatriate community of Garifuna lived. In 1968, the sister initiated the process for Colón to join her.[1]
Career and Education
[edit]Arriving in New York City, Colón began working inBrooklynfor atextile manufacturer.After her second child was born, she became determined to return to school. Colón enrolled in theGeneral Educational Development(GED) program of theHostos Community Collegeand earned her certificate in 1984. Because of conflicts with her work schedule, she left Hostos and enrolled in social services courses atBoricua College.
Colón formed a transnational,nonprofitorganization in 1992,Hondurans Against AIDS,to address the high numbers ofHIV-positiveGarifuna women. With her experience in social work, Colón recognized the need to educate, in aculturally sensitivemanner, the Garifuna community of the Central American coastline, as well as thoseimmigrantcommunities clustered around the Bronx neighborhoods ofCrotona,Hunts Point,MorrisaniaandMott Haven.[1]Many of the community migrants speak theGarifuna languageamong themselves, isolating them from otherAfro-LatinoandAfro-Americanservice networks.[2]In 1994, when she completed her bachelor's degree in human services, Colón took employment as asocial workeratLincoln Hospital.While simultaneously raising two children and working full-time, Colón pursued graduate studies atFordham University,completing her master's degree in social work in 1998.[1]
In 2007, Colón expanded Hondurans Against AIDS, after receiving aFord Foundationgrant for $100,000. The organization created a headquarters,Casa Yurumein,hired an executive director, and began training network of health professionals to address HIV/AIDS among theAfrican diasporaliving inBelize,The Bronx,Guatemala,Honduras, andNicaragua.Colón, who serves as the director, and her volunteers, assist with educational activities, monitoring patients to ensure they are adhering to treatment regimens, and identifying risk factors while respecting cultural traditions.[1][2]
In 2012 Colón was one of New York State's Outstanding Career Serving Humanity Award recipients.[1][3]Retired from her social work career, Colón still serves as executive director of Hondurans Against AIDS, traveling throughout the Garifuna homelands to improve social services to her community.[1]In addition to healthcare, Colón promotes cultural events to create networks for improving communication among differing Garifuna populations. One such event was the 2010 community meeting with MayorMichael Bloomberg.[4]Other events include the Garifuna Nation Summit held in the Bronx in 2014[5]and an annually sponsored Ms Garifuna Pageant.[6]In addition to her work in New York, Colón has served as president of the Central American Negro Organization (Spanish:Organización Negra Centroamericana (ONECA)), which was organized in 1995 to organize networks for Central American members of the African diaspora to address issues facing these populations.[7][8]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Garcia, Doris (December 2014).Place, Race, And The Politics Of Identity In The Geography Of Garinagu Baündada(PDF)(PhD). Baton Rouge, Louisiana:Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 21 September 2015.Retrieved23 February2017.
- López Oro, Paul Joseph (2016). "Colón, Mirtha (1951– )". In Knight, Franklin W.; Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (eds.).Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro–Latin American Biography.Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-199-93579-6.– viaOxford University Press's Reference Online(subscription required)
- McCallister, Jared (1 April 2012)."Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson fund-raiser will honor distinguished group - past and present".New York Daily News.New York City, New York. Archived fromthe originalon 10 January 2013.Retrieved23 February2017.
- Ramos, Wellington C. (16 April 2014)."Commentary: A mandate for a Garifuna nation".Dallas, Texas: Caribbean News Now!. Archived fromthe originalon 30 March 2015.Retrieved23 February2017.
- Ramos, Wellington C. (3 May 2014)."Commentary: Ms Dangriga, Belize, captures Ms Garifuna 2014 title".Dallas, Texas: Caribbean News Now!.Retrieved23 February2017.[permanent dead link]
- Torrens, Claudia (22 August 2015)."Garífunas, fenómeno único entre inmigrantes hispanos"[Garífunas, unique phenomenon among Hispanic immigrants] (in Spanish). Guatemala City, Guatemala: La Hora. Archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2015.Retrieved23 February2017.
- Troya, Odalys (25 August 2016)."El Salvador acoge encuentro de afrodescendientes de Centroamérica"[El Salvador hosts meeting of Afro-descendants of Central America] (in Spanish). Havana, Cuba:Prensa Latina.Archived fromthe originalon 26 August 2016.Retrieved23 February2017.