Local leader wins award to fund mental health work

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Queens-born Hernán Carvente-Martinez won an $100,000 award to support the work of Healing Ninjas. Photo courtesy of Hernán Carvente-Martinez

Queens-born Hernán Carvente-Martinez won an $100,000 award to support the work of Healing Ninjas. Photo courtesy of Hernán Carvente-Martinez

By Rachel Vick

A Queens-based activist is one of several entrepreneurs to win a human rights award for his work to increase the visibility and accessibility of mental health resources in communities of color.

As a winner of the Reebok Human Rights Award, Hernán Carvente-Martinez, founder and CEO of Healing Ninjas, is the recipient of $100,000 to support the organization’s work.

“This recognition goes out to all the young leaders around the country who are fighting to reimagine a world without youth prisons,” Carvente-Martinez said. “I am honored to have had the opportunity to go from being a youth leader myself to now coaching and supporting so many other amazing and talented young people over the last nine years since coming out of prison.”

Carvente-Martinez, who also works with the Youth First Initiative, started the platform to share stories of mental health struggles and triumphs as a way to destigmatize the conversation.

Healing Ninjas also curates resources to support individuals struggling with mental health issues or who are looking to learn more.

“Let us continue working together to build a world where every young person has the opportunity to live healthy, loving, successful lives,” he added. “It's time to put an end to the youth prison model and create more pathways for youth to heal.”

The awards were sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and Alabama State University to highlight the work of three activists under 30, including LaTonya Myers from Philadelphia and Eva Maria Lewis from Chicago.

“We are thrilled to celebrate LaTonya, Eva Maria and Hernán – three incredibly talented, driven young people who are doing such phenomenal, crucial work to combat systemic racism and support the most marginalized,” said Matt O’Toole, Reebok president. “We know they will continue to achieve great things in the future.”