Friends of Hart Island

Hart Island is New York City’s potter’s field, the final resting place of over one million people. For decades, families have been denied dignity, recognition, and meaningful access to visit their loved ones.

I know this loss personally. My father, Norberto, who died of AIDS complications in 1993, and my brother, Morgan, who died from an overdose in 2023, are both buried on Hart Island. Their lives, like so many others, reflect the history of marginalized communities—those who suffered stigma, poverty, illness, addiction, and neglect.

Through Friends of Hart Island, we are fighting for:

• Landmark status to preserve the island’s history and protect it from future erasure.

• Expanded visitation rights so families can mourn and honor their loved ones with dignity.

• Accountability from the City of New York to ensure Hart Island is treated as sacred ground.

Your support will help us advocate, educate, and build public pressure to recognize Hart Island for what it is: a place of memory, resilience, and humanity. Together, we can ensure that no one buried there is forgotten.

Please give what you can, share our campaign, and stand with us to honor Hart Island.