Reflecting on 9/11 Across Generations

September 11, 2019

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Just weeks after universities around the country welcome new first-year students to campus, the nation will mark the eighteenth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks carried out nearly two decades ago have arguably shaped global politics more than any other event in recent history, and the effects are still actively playing out today. To incoming students from Generation Z, however, 9/11 was not a lived experience; it occurred before most of their lifetimes. For them, 9/11 is a historical event conveyed in textbooks—a frame of reference for current affairs that carries no emotional weight for most people in their generation.

This week the Berkley Forum explores the generational differences in perceptions of 9/11 by asking respondents from across the age spectrum to reflect on the September 11 attacks and how they either witnessed the world change firsthand or how they understand the impact of that critical historical event.

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