Remembering 9/11

Dear Members of the CUNY SPS Community:

Today we observe the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Amid the events honoring this tragic day, including the ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, I wish to share a few observations and some resources for further reading.

Like so many others, I vividly remember the shock and horror of that clear sunny morning in New York City, the unforgettable images, and the bewildering months to follow. I know many who narrowly escaped the events of that fateful day due to last-minute decisions and chance.  With each anniversary, I am reminded anew of that traumatic period, even as the passing years help me gain more perspective on this painful time.  

What the decades have also helped me understand is the fundamental need for us to grieve our shared tragedies together. Today, I welcome the many opportunities around New York City for us to collectively pay tribute to the 2,977 victims of those attacks and the courageous first responders who sacrificed so much. It is for these heroes and each person on this list that I say thank you and promise to never forget.

In this spirit, I would also like to present a few resources compiled by our Committee on Equity and Diversity (CIED), which has been committed to providing equity, diversion, and inclusion-related resources and training to the CUNY SPS community since 2019. Please see below for the CIED’s annually updated list of websites, videos, and events exploring the 9/11 attacks, its continuing significance, and CUNY’s efforts to honor this tragedy.

National Resources for September 11

• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Primer for educators and students
• Interactive Timelines
• National Parks Service - Flight 93 - National Memorial Pennsylvania
• National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial
• 9/11 Day of Service - September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
• Youth.gov - an inter-agency organization focused on youth
• AmeriCorps - Unite Through Service
• Library of Congress - Reflections with Poetry reading guide

Around CUNY

• BMCC - Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) is the only college in United States history to have lost a campus building to a terrorist attack. Explore the School's resilience, recovery, and remembrance.
• CUNY TV - Virtual Town Hall on 20th Anniversary of Attacks
• CUNY Central - City University of New York's special reflection from September 9, 2021

I hope you find these resources helpful, and I very much hope that on this day you may all find peace with family, friends, and our larger SPS community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lisa R. Braverman
Dean
CUNY School of Professional Studies