09/11/2026
There are certain moments in life when you will always remember exactly where you were. For so many of us, September 11, 2001 is one of those moments.
We remember the shock, the fear, and the heartbreak. We remember the lives that were lost, the first responders who ran toward danger, and the families whose lives were forever changed.
I also remember what came afterward. I remember communities coming together. Neighbors helping neighbors. Strangers supporting one another. In the midst of unimaginable tragedy, we saw incredible examples of courage, compassion, service, and unity.
But it's also important to remember that not everyone experienced the days, months, and years that followed in the same way. Alongside that unity were fear, anger, prejudice, and division. Remembering our history means being willing to remember all of it—and hopefully learning from it.
Every class at CTA, our students make a promise:
“I will be a champion of freedom and justice.
I will build a more peaceful world.”
Those are big words, especially for some of our youngest students. But building a more peaceful world doesn't always require doing something big.
It can mean standing beside someone who is being treated unfairly. Speaking up instead of joining in when someone is being made fun of. Refusing to judge someone because they look, believe, speak, or live differently than you do. Helping a neighbor who needs it. Showing kindness when anger would be easier. Listening to someone whose experiences are different from your own.
Being a champion of freedom and justice means understanding that those things belong to all of us.
And building a more peaceful world starts much closer to home than we sometimes realize—in our schools, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our families, and even on our TaeKwonDo mats.
Twenty-five years after September 11, I hope we remember both the tremendous loss of that day and the lessons of everything that followed.
Remember the lives lost. Honor the courage and sacrifice. Learn from the pain. Take care of one another.
And continue working, in whatever small ways we can, to “build a more peaceful world.”
🇺🇸 9.11.01 — Never Forget 🥋
