The Sound of Silence: 10 Years After 9/11

Sept. 9, 2011
With Sunday marking the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, individuals, communities and organizations across the nation and the world are preparing to participate in remembrances and memorials.

The new 9/11 Memorial in New York City will be dedicated on Sunday, Sept. 11, when it will be open only for victims’ families in a special ceremony. The memorial will open to the public the next day, Sept. 12, for visitors with advance passes.

The Flight 93 National Memorial, which commemorates the flight that crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa., after it was hijacked with the intent to attack Washington, D.C., will be dedicated at 12:30 p.m. EST on Sept. 10. After this ceremony, the memorial will be open to the public. A memorial service will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, and can be viewed live at History.com.

The Pentagon Memorial, which is free and open to the public daily, provides a place of remembrance in the nation’s capital.

The 9/11 Healing and Remembrance Program lists a range of events occurring across the country in remembrance of Sept. 11.

A Quiet Remembrance

While plenty of ceremonies and speeches will take place throughout the country, one display will feature mostly silence.

Throughout September, Temple University’s Temple Gallery at the Tyler School of Art will be filled with recorded moments of silence expressed in commemoration of 9/11. These silences, which were collected from the past decade, range from President Obama’s recent visit to Ground Zero following the assassination of Osama Bin Laden to a woman’s private moment of silence recorded alone in her Missouri bedroom for the families whose loved ones died on Sept. 11, 2001.

“For centuries, artists have struggled to represent renewal,” said Robert Blackson, director of the gallery. “Amongst the many tributes made by artists and individuals in commemoration of 9/11, the ones I have found most poignant are those ephemeral and communal gestures of quiet solidarity.”

“A Decade of Silences” will be audible in the gallery through September 30. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, visit the gallery's site.

Where Were You?

EHS Today readers shared their personal accounts and memories from 9/11 – where they were, how they felt and how the day affected them or their careers – in the September 2011 feature, “We Are Different Now.” As one reader recounts, “After that day, I was forever affected … I know I will never be the same."

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

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