Queens
The Balance — The Four Faces of Health
Jacob A. Riis Settlement House, Queensbridge Houses
Young artists in Groundswell's Summer Leadership Institute created this mural with the Queensbridge Tenant Association and NYCHA, addressing HIV/AIDS, diabetes, food access, gun violence, and mental wellness. A mythical sphinx anchors four figures representing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Key words appear in English, Bengali, Spanish, and Mandarin.
THE RIGHT AT STAKE
Wellness that isn't determined by zip code. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health must be treated as a basic human right, not a luxury.
WHY HERE?
This mural sits at the Jacob A. Riis Settlement House, the community hub at Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing development in North America and home to roughly 7,000 residents. It was created through Groundswell's Summer Leadership Institute which is their flagship summer youth employment program, in partnership with the Queensbridge Tenant Association, City Council Member Ritchie Torres, and NYCHA. This wasn't just an art project. It was paid, structured work for young residents, addressing health issues (HIV/AIDS, diabetes, food access, gun violence, mental wellness, etc.) that community members identified as most urgent.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Your health shouldn't depend on your zip code. So why does it? How can communities reclaim ownership over its own health after decades of policy decisions made without its input?
THEN & NOW
In the 1950s, NYCHA management shifted Queensbridge's population by relocating higher-income residents to other housing, replacing them primarily with Black and Latino families. This policy effectively segregated the development. By the 1980s and 1990s, Queensbridge faced a serious crime and drug epidemic, despite simultaneously becoming one of the most influential neighborhoods in hip-hop history. Queensbridge is credited with producing artists such as Nas, Mobb Deep, and Marley Marl. Today, the Jacob A. Riis Community Center that anchors this mural also houses health clinics, senior gardening programs, and youth wellness workshops. The community is reclaiming health and opportunity on its own terms.
TAKE ACTION
Interested students should explore Groundswell's Summer Leadership Institute (their paid youth employment/public art program) or connect with a local NYCHA tenant association about ongoing health and wellness initiatives. Get involved!
Organizer: Groundswell · Partners: Queensbridge Tenant Association, NYCHA
