Statement From Chancellor Young, the Board of Regents and Commissioner Rosa on the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks

Twenty years ago Americans watched in horror as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 irrevocably transformed the world we knew. We commemorate the approximately 3,000 people who were killed, the families who lost cherished loved ones, and the survivors who are still dealing with the aftereffects of that horrible day today and every day.

New Yorkers will forever bear on our hearts the scars left behind within the footprint of the World Trade Center. The memories are profoundly personal for those of us who call New York City home.

With the passage of time, it is becoming increasingly crucial to keep this history alive in a meaningful way and to reach out to a new generation of students who were born long after these events that continue to affect our world, nation, state, and community.

There is a lesson for all of us in the words of Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl: “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” As educators, we have a duty to instill this important sentiment to all New York’s children.