NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Throughout the summer, WCBS Newsradio 880 is presenting a series of reports looking ahead to the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Our series, "Rising from the Ashes," tells stories that inspire and teach; stories that honor the sacrifices of that day and how that work continues to impact the lives of others 20 years later.
The focal point of Saturday’s 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks will be the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan.
Over the years, the site has become a haven for those who lost someone in the attacks, something Alice Greenwald, president and CEO of the museum, is proud of.
“It was a wound in this city, and you look at it today, and here we are—a verdant place of reflection and learning,” she said.
The memorial features square waterfalls representing the footprints of the Twin Towers.
Along the perimeter, nearly 3,000 names are inscribed in bronze.
Below ground, visitors can learn about the history of 9/11 in the museum.
“You are moving into urban archaeology,” she says of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. “You go down to the foundation level of the World Trade Center. You are surrounded by the remnants of this place.”
The overall goal of the museum is to tell the story of 9/11 and educate those who visit.
“The first obligation is to tell people what happened here. So, our core exhibitions are about what happened here – what happened on that day, how that day came to be and the lead up to it,” Greenwald said. “[It also tells the story of] what happened in the immediate aftermath. And, we commemorate the lives of nearly 3,000 people.”
Many say the memorial is a beautiful tribute, but some critics have claimed the narrative of the museum is “sanitized” and the site is too “commercial.”
Greenwald, however, said she completely understands those ciritisms and noted it was difficult to please everyone when constructing the site.
“It's complicated,” she said. “You have to hear from every imaginable constituency – people who feel they own a piece of the story and want to know that that part of the story is going to be accurately presented.”
Greenwald notes that the museum is always continuing to evolve.