My City September 2021

WEREMEMBER

F Th something so world-shattering or groundbreaking that it becomes a part of each and every one of us – never to be forgotten. On September 11, 2001, came a catastrophe that shook our society to its foundation and left each of us with a memory etched forever on our mind and soul. We will never forget the horror of that day and will continue to honor the lives lost with grace, goodwill and peace. For the 20th anniversary of the attack, My City Magazine sent out a call to notable Flint and Genesee County citizens asking for their memory of the tragedy of 9/11. Here are the answers. Ś̗͗ϐ̗ Ц̗ϐ̗ бΩϵ Ц̗͗Δ бΩϵ ̗͗˒ϐ̏ Ω͇ ϥ̗͗ ўӣіі ϥ̗ϐϐΩϐ͜Ϙϥ ˒ϥϥ˒̈΃Ԓ

I vividly remember that morn ing. I was working at ABC12, finishing the morning show when the attack was announced during the newscast. We all watched in disbelief when the Towers were hit. I remember praying that this attack on U.S. soil wasn’t real. I will never forget the day that changed America and many lives forever. Sheldon Neeley Flint Mayor I was working for the Flint Community Schools doing social service field fork, which was basically a teacher of spe cial assignment. When the first plane hit the Twin Towers, I was on my way to our monthly meeting, and listening to the radio as it was happening. When I arrived at the meeting, I informed my colleagues of the

When the first plane hit the World Trade Center, I was in my car on my way to work, listening to the radio. I remember thinking, “How horrible for all of those people to see that coming and be completely powerless to do anything about it.” I called my mother, as I often did when something big happened in the news. By the time the second plane hit, I was at work at UPN50 in Detroit, watching the aftermath of the first crash on newsroom monitors. It felt like the world stopped spin ning. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was clearly an act of terrorism.The first thing I thought of was my ex-husband, a special agent with the Secret Service, and his family. “Was he in danger? What would be

news. We adjourned the meet ing and I returned to Martin Elementary School where staff had been told of the attack. This day I will never forget – the great concern that staff, parents and students had for the balance of that day. Bryant Nolden We all remember how beautiful the weather was across most of the country that particular Tuesday. What a contrast to the dark horror unfolding in New York, Shanksville and Washington D.C. I was at work, like most everyone else, probably on my first coffee break. Back then, we had the old style CRT TV monitors in the break rooms and cafeterias. A crowd of Executive Director Friends of Berston

colleagues were watching the attacks, jaws open, eyes glued to the screens. It was hard to tell if we were watching a recorded tape or live feed. Nothing made sense and I felt a dulling sense of tremendous sadness. A fore boding of dread followed for days afterward. 9/11 convinced me that the only way to fight hate and fear is to connect the diverse communities in our cities, villages and counties, in order to put an end to the mis understandings and mistrust. This conviction continues to inform my daily actions and the community engagement initia tives I choose to be involved with, even to this day. Adil Mohammed Co-Founder International Center of Greater Flint

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We Remember

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