100 million Americans don’t remember 9/11. That’s a national risk

By Jane Holl Lute

This column originally appeared in The New Jersey Star-Ledger on September 14, 2025.

September 11, 2001, remains a defining moment in American history.

Those of us who experienced the events of that day will always remember where we were and what we were doing when the Twin Towers and Pentagon were attacked.

Yet, despite an earnest commitment to “never forget” the horror of what happened, many important lessons of that experience are in danger of being lost to the passage of time.

Just the phrase “9/11” evokes multiple memories for me: a former teacher of mine was killed that day, and other members of my extended family had relatives who perished.

I was in a cab entering the Midtown Tunnel that connects Queens to Manhattan as the attacks unfolded, while our daughter’s school bus passed by the Pentagon’s Mall entrance mere minutes before the plane hit. My husband, who worked at the Pentagon, was traveling abroad with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. They were rerouted back to Washington that afternoon and were escorted by fighter jets directly over Ground Zero while heading to the Pentagon crash site.

These events, and the profound ways they have shaped our lives since, are forever imprinted in our memory.

The devastation of that clear day revealed extraordinary acts of heroism by first responders, survivors, and ordinary citizens who showed unparalleled strength and American grit at its finest. But it also made clear that there were those around the world who woke up every day thinking about how to kill Americans.

Necessarily, 9/11 inalterably reshaped the ways we think about and act to protect our safety and security.

Each year since the attacks, we have remembered and honored the victims and heroes of 9/11: Some 750 New Jerseyans died that day out of the nearly 3,000 who were killed.

Yet as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches in 2026, important lessons regarding American resilience, vigilance, and, especially, unity seem to be fading.

One reason, perhaps, is that more than 100 million Americans have been born since 2001 or are too young to hold personal memories of the attacks. Yet, more consequential perhaps are the facts that:

— A 2017 audit revealed that barely more than half of the 50 states include 9/11 lessons in their high school curricula while only nine states address the long-term impacts of the Global War on Terror.

— A 2022 poll found that many young people don’t recognize the connection between 9/11 and the meaning of “Never Forget.” This disconnect was amplified when TikTok videos sympathetic to Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America” amassed more than 14 million views while a 2023 poll showed that nearly one-fifth of American adults under 29 held a “positive view” of bin Laden.

— Over the past decades, our Country’s growing deep political divisions have threatened Americans’ sense of unity and common purpose so evident in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

These facts underscore a dangerous and growing detachment from history and from each other.

These realities, including the need to ensure that the events and far-reaching consequences of 9/11 are never lost to history, have fueled the formation of the 9/11 Legacy Foundation with the mission to honor those we lost, uplift the heroes who emerged, and inspire a renewed commitment to service and unity. Today, education, remembrance, and unity are needed more than ever.

The foundation exists to uphold six pillars:

• Foster deeper connections between Americans and the events of September 11, 2001.
• Instill unity and patriotism by highlighting our shared history and collective strength.
• Educate and raise awareness about the long-lasting impacts of 9/11 on our daily lives.
• Commemorate milestones, with particular emphasis on the 25th anniversary, ensuring they are marked with the gravity they deserve.
• Define “We Remember” as more than a slogan, committing to a tangible effort to educate future generations about the true meaning of this remembrance.
• Curate stories of heroism and resilience from those who perished, survivors, and their families, ensuring their experiences are never forgotten.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum (911memorial.org) does an outstanding job each year of commemorating that tragic day, but the 25th anniversary deserves a nationwide remembrance that unites every American in reflection, action, and commitment to the future.

The 9/11 Legacy Foundation is dedicated to being an umbrella organization to enhance and amplify the individual commemorations and initiatives planned by the various attack sites and other locations.

The 9/11 attacks are a somber reminder of the ever-present threats to America. We cannot afford to ignore the dangers posed by adversaries who continue to challenge our democracy or the high cost of inaction. We must remain ever vigilant and prepared to defend the liberty, values and principles that define us.

September 11, 2026, will be much more than another date on the calendar. It will be a date to reaffirm our commitment to the lessons of that day. It must also be a day to ensure that those who are too young to remember 9/11, as well as future generations, carry that commitment forward.

It is time to turn “Never Forget” into “We Remember,” a tangible and positive call to action for all generations that extends beyond words into meaningful efforts in education, service, and unity so that the legacy of 9/11 lives on in every American heart.