Tomorrow we commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, an event that forever changed the landscape of New York City and our country. Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones and friends on that terrible day. Among Steinhardt’s seven outstanding alumni who lost their lives on that day was Michael Richards (MA ’91), a sculptor who was enjoying an artists’ residency at the Twin Towers. At the time of his death, Michael had been working on a project called The Tuskegee Airmen, dedicated to the memory of the segregated WWII African American air force.
His iconic work is currently on exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami.
While New York City and the country have recovered remarkably, the twenty years that have passed since the September morning when the Twin Towers fell have brought ongoing conflict and uncertainty, including lengthy wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the continuing, costly military actions against terrorism.
We also continue to see anti-Muslim sentiment and violence, acts of bias, and Islamophobia that spike around this time of year. At NYU Steinhardt, we recognize that increasing religious literacy and raising awareness that anti-Muslim racism is part of a broader set of discriminatory practices that prevent people from reaching their full human potential is crucial to our mission. We are proud that our
community is working with our teachers to make them aware of their unconscious biases when talking about 9/11 with their students.
If you were at NYU Steinhardt for 9/11, you may remember how the Pless Hall Lounge on Washington Square became a gathering place for people from all over the community who came together to talk, share food, and support one another.
In that spirit, I invite you to commemorate 9/11 with us at Gathering to Gather: Stories and Memories from 9/11 tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hosted in the Education Building by our Verbatim Performance Lab, this in-person event will offer you the opportunity to share your own story with those who were also touched by the powerful events of that day.
Please RSVP.
Jack H. Knott, Dean
Gale and Ira Drukier Chair