A quarter century ago, an unprecedented attack — that is still considered to be the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil — occurred on Sept.11, 2001.
Two planes, hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists who sought to harm Americans, hit both towers at the World Trade Center in New York. Another plane struck the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The fourth plane, presumed to be headed for the White House or the U.S. Capitol, was diverted by passengers and crashed in an empty field in Pennsylvania, according to Millercenter.org. In the span of under two hours, this moment shocked not only the nation- but the world.
Not only did this attack unsettle the hearts of American families across the nation and cause thousands of casualties, but several effects of 9/11 are still in place today.
For example, the U.S. government enacted the Homeland Security Act, establishing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is now the third-largest Cabinet department. Created in 2003, it protects the United States against terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other major public security threats.
When asked about their recollection of that day, Professor Tina Owens at Howard University, 51, says, “I was at home; my husband had actually just gotten home the day before from being deployed to Afghanistan, and I remember I was with our baby and it came on the news. I think one of my biggest reactions was that I was being super thankful that we got home the day before because he would’ve been stuck for who knows how much longer than he’d already been there. I hadn’t experienced anything like that, and so this was a new terrorism that you would read about in history books. It was hard to process.”
Airport security also became tightly regulated worldwide, introducing mandatory identity verifications, full-body scans, and strict carry-on bans. According to History.com, President Bush created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) merely a few weeks after 9/11 took place to ensure that such an attack would never take place again.
According to History.com, “It was a relatively unintrusive process,” says Jeffrey Price, an aviation security expert. “Anybody could go through the checkpoint. You didn’t need to be a passenger, so you could go right to the gate to drop off your loved ones or pick them up. You didn’t need an ID. A long screening line would’ve been considered about 5 to 8 minutes.”
“When I’m traveling, the earliest thing I remember is always having to go through security,’ Nia Banks, 19, says. “So when I hear my parents talking about how when they were younger they could always just hop on a flight and go anywhere they wanted, I’d be like, “Wow! I can’t imagine that. So I feel like it’s pretty normal now, especially with how the world is currently looking now.”
“Sometimes it does make me feel a little stressed or anxious,” Banks says. “Especially when they have the random checks, which oftentimes don’t actually feel random. There are too many times I go into the airport, and I’m the one who’s like, oh you’ve been chosen for a random search…please give us a second, and then they’ll give us a pat down.”
According to 911memorial.org, 25 years later, roughly 100 million Americans are too young to recall the day that changed the United States forever. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, their only recollection comes through history books or word of mouth. For most, the closest thing the younger generations have to witnessing a catastrophic event on such a scale is the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago.
“My earliest memory of learning about 9/11 was probably in elementary or middle school.” Keniya Lawrence, 20, says. “In school, we would have lessons or watch videos about what happened, but they were also used as a way to remember and honor the people who lost their lives on 9/11.”
“There was this overall feeling of community in the United States.” Professor Owens says. “We have a whole new generation who wasn’t there, and can’t really relate to that, and I think those of us who were there … I think it brought the country together in the weeks afterward and just so much kindness went around, I wish we could get that back.”
