Today marks the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. For those of you in Seattle and looking for a commemorative gathering, Washington’s immigration coalition OneAmerica — in partnership with Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Somali Community Services Coalition — will be hosting an event with an interfaith prayer, panel, and community discussions.
And of course groups across the country will be hosting gatherings in a spirit of remembrance and unity post-9/11. There are several compiled lists of such events, including this one from South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). Hyphen has also compiled its own list, plus links to educational resources and special publications here. The 9/11 Arts Project has a database of programs geared towards healing, and searchable by location here.
For personal reflections on 9/11 and its lasting impact on our nation, check out this piece at The Guardian, which includes commentary by Domestic Crusaders author and BCB friend Wajahat Ali. NPR Boston recently aired a segment with the siblings of Betty Ong, a flight attendant on the first plane to hit the World Trade Center. Betty called ground operations during the hijacking and stayed on the line for 25 minutes, providing information that allowed officials to identify the hijackers (there’s also a Betty Ong Foundation in her memory).
I’ll be flying out of the New York area on a flight 11 this morning, and I can’t say I’m not a little nervous (apparently I’m not alone — this was one of the few days with ample seats available). But I think I’ll mostly be feeling grateful for my loved ones, and intensely hoping that America will progress towards peace and reconciliation with our domestic as well as global neighbors. Our humanity and survival depend on it.
