I was just starting elementary school on September 11, 2001, and yet I still carry the memory of that day in the core of my being: the announcements, frighteningly calm, over the loudspeaker; the solemn conversations between teachers in the hall; the glow of the television we huddled around at home. Friends and family retain their own indelible images: paperwork carried boroughs away by the wind, heavy layers of soot and ash that eclipsed the light, people waiting in line for pay phones as cell networks overloaded. Many were subjected to (and still endure) the sting of bigotry and hate, unfairly associated with the perpetrators due to their names, their religion, the color of their skin. Others suffered the unimaginable as their fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, and children were cruelly taken away.
Our collective sorrow was unfathomable, yet in spite of the shock and sorrow, there remained a glimmer of hope and recovery. Strangers and neighbors banded together, cultivating a sense of community built on decency, kindness, and an intimate understanding of the grief each of us carried. The days and weeks that followed the attacks demonstrated both the depths of our resilience and our capacity for empathy and unity, even in the wake of an event that initially felt impossible to recover from.
From the courageous passengers and crew of United 93 who sacrificed their lives to save countless others, to the first responders and bystanders who ran headfirst into fire and rubble to find survivors, to all those who were simply going into work or a meeting at the World Trade Center or the Pentagon, the experiences of those who died—and those who survived—serve as reminders of how precious and how fragile our existence truly is. We choose to remember and honor them every day, but especially today: With 23 years of distance, historical and personal perspectives alike have become all the more complex and poignant.
As we reflect on another anniversary of this formative American tragedy, we’re sharing a collection of oral histories, personal narratives, political context, and even fiction that enhances our understanding of September 11, 2001. In these disparate listens from diverse storytellers, their words, voices, and accounts help to ensure we will never forget, that the passage of time will never erode the memory of those loved, lost, and left behind.
This day is painful for so many; if you’re struggling with grief or trauma, you are not alone. The resources below offer support, whether you’re in need of treatment, assistance, community, or simply looking for someone to talk to.
Crisis Text Line: Text “CONNECT” to 741741.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Call 1-800-950-NAMI or visit nami.org/help to chat online.
