Panelists on stage at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. A bright blue screen sits behind them, with the social media icons for Twitter and Facebook and the text hashtag 911 Ed Talk superimposed on it.
Photo by David E. Starke

Upcoming Public Programs

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s public programs explore a range of topics reflecting on the ongoing impacts and continued resonance of the attacks, their historical context, and their aftermath. 

The Moth Mainstage: Shadow and Light  
Friday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m.  
BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center | 199 Chambers St New York, NY 10007

Join us for an evening of storytelling in collaboration with The Moth, featuring the stories of individuals whose experiences reflect the many dimensions of grief, compassion, and service seen in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The storytelling will be complemented by musical performances. Crafted in part during a Moth storytelling workshop held in partnership with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, these stories will offer authentic portraits of humanity, all shared live and without notes on stage in the BMCC Auditorium in lower Manhattan.

"Can We Be Funny?": SNL Returns After 9/11
Tuesday, September 29 at 5 p.m.
Museum Auditorium

The return of Saturday Night Live 18 days after the 9/11 attacks marked a meaningful cultural moment in the city's recovery. Featuring FDNY and NYPD first responders and a memorable opening that affirmed New York's resilience, the broadcast became a symbol of hope in the weeks after the attacks. In conversation with SNL writer and performer Colin Jost, Saturday Night Live creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels and former FDNY Commissioner Thomas von Essen reflect on that night and the role of comedy, resilience, and community in the aftermath of 9/11.

25 Years Later: Reflections of a Generation
Thursday, October 1 at 6 p.m.
Museum Auditorium

In August 2001, CUNY's Macaulay Honors College welcomed its first class, just weeks before the September 11 attacks reshaped New York City and the nation. As Macaulay marks its 25th year alongside this milestone anniversary of 9/11, inaugural alumni Deanna Bitetti, Senior Communications Officer at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Jesús A. Hernández-García, Esq., Federal Public Defender; and Amanda Perez, journalist and educator, return to reflect on beginning their college careers at a moment that would come to define a generation of New Yorkers. The program will open with welcome remarks from Ryan Merola, Chief of Staff to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch and an alumnus from Macaulay's third cohort. In conversation with 9/11 Memorial & Museum Director Clifford Chanin, they will discuss how coming of age in New York during a time of profound loss and resilience has remained part of their personal and professional journeys and influenced how they understand service, community, and their roles in the world today. 

Through support of The Never Forget Fund, public programs are made possible by Delta Air Lines and Fiserv.

2025 Public Program Highlight Reel

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