The name Sara Elizabeth Low is etched in concrete at the site of the World Trade Center buildings in New York. Low, a native of Batesville, Arkansas, was a flight attendant on the American Airlines flight that struck the World Trade Center. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Miller)

By Angelina Smith

Eagle View Contributor

The September 11th terrorist attacks forever, and profoundly shaped the lives of Americans and peoples around the globe. I recently read an article from Pew Research Center about the enduring legacy of 9/11. For American Millennials, who witnessed the attacks as young adults or children—like myself, the attack was shocking and it reshaped the nation’s views on authority, security, and international relations. The following wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and increased national security measures defined our coming-of-age years. Gen Z, growing up in a post-9/11 world, often the children of millennials, experienced heightened awareness of both national and international terrorism, and a stronger desire for global unity and social justice.

I interviewed my fourteen year old, Ezra—a very sage young person, about his experience living life as a Gen Z in the aftermath of the attack of 9/11.

“I’m far away enough [his age] that I didn’t directly feel the ripple effects of 9/11 until third or fourth grade, when we learned about it in school. We watched a documentary about it,” he said. He had seen the memorial that was constructed, but he said mostly what he knew about the memorial was from watching YouTube videos and social media.

When I asked him how 9/11 shows up in his life, he surprised me by first pointing out the TSA restrictions and how they’re annoying but unfortunately necessary. [I concede that he has flown many times, even as a child.]

He went on further to describe how, “Racism has been the worst effect of 9/11 and has had the deepest impact in my life, especially racism targeting the Middle Eastern and people of color.”

He went on to describe how it shaped his generation’s point of view that the US government is a “war-mongering country.” He said, “And the timing of George W. Bush being the president was also very unfortunate.”

“Every other country heard about when 9/11 happened, too. I feel like it also left an impact on the world, not just the United States.”

As we talked, I described to him some of my experiences at 19 in 2001; watching the second tower fall on TV, crazy gas prices and the insane number of cars in line, and how it was the first attack on America since Pearl Harbor. After our interview, I also described the Oklahoma City bombing and how, prior to 9/11, it was the big scary event of my childhood.

As surprised as I was to hear Ezra’s perspective, it’s clear that 9/11’s impact reaches far beyond the generation that lived through it. For Gen Z, the legacy of that day is not just about our nation’s heightened security or international conflicts; it’s about navigating a world shaped by fear and division, simultaneously fueling a desire for unity and understanding.

Let’s help Gen Z save the world; Gen Z for Prez.

Angelina Smith is an NWACC student enrolled in the fall 2024 Media Writing class. She plans to study advertising and public relations at the University of Arkansas.