Meet Chimére!

The OG of Black Long Covid Advocacy.

Recently called a “tour de force” in Invisible Illness by Dr. Emily Mendenhall, Chimére L. Sweeney is a notable voice in the Long Covid and disability justice communities. After her Covid-19 infection in March 2020, she has used storytelling to empower Black patients. From sharing her testimony before Congress to being a featured guest on The Washington Post’s Post Live, Sweeney’s message is both passionate and honest. 

Over the last six years, Sweeney has chronicled her health journey on ABC, CBS, and NBC. She has been a guest writer for CNN and Huffington Post and contributed to The Long Covid Guide. She wrote Dear Black Women with Long Covid, a love letter to Black women.The Wall Street Journal profiled her use of painting and crafting to manage her depression and grief as a disabled woman.

She has been a featured speaker and panelist at Columbia University, San Francisco State University, and the University of Michigan. 

Sweeney created Black Long Covid BINGO and The Teal Reveal – A Long Covid and ME/CFS Virtual Prom Celebration, virtual fundraising events that provide mutual aid to disabled community members. 

In April 2026, Sweeney’s science abstract and poster – Dismissed to Diagnosed: How Storytelling Promotes Agency and Advocacy in Black American Healthcare – was selected for presentation at the Center for Urban Health Disparities Research and Innovation’s Biennial 2026 Conference at her alma mater, Morgan State University.

She currently curates her Substack, The Blackest Side of Long Covid, with personal stories and critical commentary on disability justice and is the founder of the Black Long Covid Experience, LLC, focusing on health equity and visibility for Black families living with Long Covid.

Sweeney and her husband, Taurean, live in upstate NY. She enjoys dog-sitting, reading, and picking sunflowers.