More than four years after the COVID-19 pandemic started in New York City, a new memorial at Green-Wood Cemetery will pay tribute to the millions of people impacted by the virus.
“A Big Slow, Majestic Covid Memorial” will be hung on the wrought-iron fence near Green-Wood’s visitor center near Fifth Avenue and 25th Street from May 3 to June 3, 2024. The dense, 200-foot-long memorial will honor the roughly 83,000 New York City residents who have lost their lives to the virus, and those suffering from Long COVID.
Nearly two-dozen community organizations from around the city created the tributes, and members of the public will be encouraged to create and add their own contributions to honor their loved ones.
“Green-Wood is proud to partner with NAMING THE LOST Memorials, City Lore, and all of our community partners to present this poignant memorial,” said Green-Wood’s president, Richard J. Moylan, in a statement. “We must always remember those whose lives have been forever changed by this pandemic, whether through the loss of loved ones or the ongoing healthcare needs of those who continue to suffer.”
NAMING THE LOST Memorials has been creating COVID memorials since May 2020 — including one at Green-Wood last year, titled “The Many Losses From COVID-19.”
More than 11,000 Brooklynites were killed by the virus between the start of the pandemic and May 2023, according to the New York Times. Throughout the pandemic, locals honored those they’ve lost with memorial ceremonies and candlelit vigils.
This year’s memorial at Green-Wood was inspired by disability justice writer Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, and the importance of continuing to honor the lives impacted by COVID-19.
Though the rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths has dropped dramatically in New York City and across the country, the U.S. saw more than 2,000 COVID-related deaths a week for several weeks at the start of the year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New York City has been reporting hundreds of new cases a week since January, though hospitalization and death rates have stayed low.
“NAMING THE LOST Memorials aims to create an annual, tangible wall of memory that does not allow the lives and souls of the many thousands of victims of the COVID-19 pandemic to escape our thoughts — thoughts which are needed to remember, grasp our losses, and find ways to create healthier and more compassionate communities,” said Steve Zeitlin, co-director of City Lore, in a statement.
On May 19, the artists and organizations behind the memorial will host a dedication and activation ceremony in Green-Wood’s Historic Chapel. The ceremony will include a procession, traditional singers, and a ritual of remembrance.
