Council Speaker Johnson Remembers Those Forgotten on Hart Island
Hart Island is out of sight and out of mind for many New Yorkers, but the small plot of land has a significant spot in the city’s history.
During the 1980s, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, thousands of bodies were buried on the island in what has commonly become known as Potter’s Field.
It’s not clear the exact number of AIDS victims that are buried there and unfortunately, state officials have been reluctant to investigate.
Though, just days before World AIDS Day, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson visited the island to pay respects.Arriving on Tuesday, he called his visit “emotional” and noted that the mass graves seemed forgotten there.