‘Tribute in Light’ Reminds Us to Rebuild Again

Look up to the sky on Friday night as the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s annual Tribute in Light honors those who lost their lives on September 11 and celebrates the unbreakable spirit of New York. The lights will be visible from a 60-mile radius around Lower Manhattan from dusk until dawn.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, this year’s anniversary carries even more weight. Like 9/11, COVID-19 has cost us thousands of New Yorkers. And like 9/11, the pandemic has significantly altered the fabric of our city and our everyday lives. But in the 19 years since 9/11, Lower Manhattan has remade itself — physically, with the addition of three new World Trade Center towers and a slew of redevelopment and transportation projects and tourist attractions; and in substance, drawing major media and tech startups, attracting a wide array of restaurants and retailers and significantly increasing its residential community. 

In many ways, we’ll have to rebuild again. But let Friday night’s “Tribute in Light” serve as a reminder that we — as New Yorkers — have the strength to do it, and for the better.