Photo by Matt Schorr
Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Postdoctoral Research Fellow Juan Canedo received the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award for 2017 from the Tennessee Titans.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. When Juan Canedo, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Postdoctoral Research Fellow, was notified that he was being awarded by the Tennessee Titans and the National Football League (NFL), he was surprised.
“In the past, I was contacted many times saying ‘You’ve been nominated for an award’,” he recalled, “but I never heard that I was actually going to receive an award.”
The message had come from Josh Corey, the Titans’ Football Outreach Coordinator, and it told Canedo he was the recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award 2017.
The National Football League (NFL) and its teams are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month – which takes place September 15 through October 15 – with a series of special events. One of those events included recognizing the contributions of Hispanic leaders in each NFL market. In total, 32 individuals were recognized.
The Titans chose to recognize Canedo.
Tina Tuggle, Director of Community Relations for the Titans, said they were looking at individuals who had impacted the community in a positive way. “After speaking with several individuals, Canedo’s name came up frequently and we felt he was deserving of the award.”
She added, “We’ve done this for several years, and one of the things that’s important to the Titans and the NFL is to recognize people making a difference, and we’re happy to have been able to honor him in this way.”
In 2006, Canedo cofounded Progreso Community Center (PCC), an Hispanic community-based organization serving the needs of Hispanic community members living in Nashville. He served as a volunteer and later as the Executive Director until March 2016 when he joined Meharry Medical College as a postdoctoral research fellow for the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core (CERC).
Canedo’s work focused on the empowerment of membes of the Hispanic community emphasizing the importance of learning English, so that they would understand their responsibilities as people living in a new society, as well as knowing their rights. “As someone who is an immigrant and has been living in Nashville for 20 years, I do believe there must be a balance between responsibilities and the rights that we have,” he explained.
Canedo’s efforts as PCC’s Executive Director also include health-related issues, working to narrow the disparities that exist within the Hispanic community through collaborative endeavors with academic institutions like MMC, Vanderbilt University (VU) and Tennessee State University (TSU).
Photo by Matt Schorr
The theme for this year's award was "Feel the Orgullo." "Orgullo" is Spanish for "pride."
The Titans officially recognized Canedo’s work during a game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, September 24, 2017. Canedo and others from PCC were invited to the team’s practice one the Saturday before the game, where players greeted them and provided autographs.
“It was a good and kind way of introducing some members of the Hispanic community to the players,” Canedo said.
He acknowledged some concern going into the game the following day. Anti-immigrant sentiment remains very real and ever-present in America, and football fields had become a hot button topic on the political stage. He worried some of that hostility might make itself known.
“But nothing happened,” Canedo said. “Then, I just felt grateful and proud of not only being a Hispanic immigrant, but thankful to this country for the opportunity it has given me. And I will always be thankful to this country.”
Corey told Canedo to “keep up the good work” in his community.
“I never expected to get anything from anyone,” Canedo said, “but being awarded this trophy has been a humbling experience. Because this award belongs to the Hispanic community as much as me. Without the community’s effort and interest in assimilating into this new social context in Tennessee, I think I would not have been able to do what I’ve done so far.”
From here, Canedo looks forward to continuing his work with the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) to narrow the gap of health disparities through community-engaged research.
“I’m thankful to the MVA for allowing me the opportunity to continue my effort in terms of improving the lives of the Hispanic community and the community at large,” he commented. “And I’m particularly very thankful to my wife, who has always supported my community work, as well as my academic work. She has played a very important role in whatever I have achieved at a community and professional level. I’d like to thank my daughters, as well, and my family that have always supported me.”
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.