Event: New York City AIDS Memorial Dedication
On Thursday, December 1, 2016, we publicly dedicated the New York City AIDS Memorial and held a City-wide World AIDS Day ceremony. Emceed by Tony-award winning actor Billy Porter, city officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council member Corey Johnson, joined activists and community members for the public dedication. Additional speakers and performers included Dr. Mary T. Bassett, New York City Health Commissioner; Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President; Brad Hoylman, New York State Senator; Melissa Mark-Viverito, Speaker, New York City Council; Kamilah Aisha Moon, celebrated poet; Scott M. Stringer, New York City Comptroller; Lillias White, Tony Award–winning actress; Dr. Howard Zucker, New York State Health Commissioner, and the Gay Men’s Chorus.
The public dedication marked the culmination of over five years of planning and development to build the Memorial, which involved significant private and public support. The Memorial project was launched in 2011 to recognize and preserve the history of the AIDS crisis through the creation of a memorial to honor New York City’s 100,000+ men, women and children who have died from AIDS, and to commemorate and celebrate the efforts of the caregivers and activists who responded heroically to the crisis.
The public dedication and City-wide World AIDS Day ceremony was hosted by the New York City AIDS Memorial Board of Directors, the End AIDS NY 2020 Coalition, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the New York State Department of Health.
The Memorial, located in a new park officially named the New York City AIDS Memorial Park at St. Vincent’s Triangle, is the first significant public space dedicated to the AIDS epidemic in New York City.
