Hudson County Community College Invites the Community to Join the 9/11 Memorial
September 6, 2023
On Monday, September 11, 2023, Hudson County Community College will host a 9/11 Memorial featuring author and 9/11 World Trade Center survivor, Victoria Regina Lockhart, pictured here.
Keynote Speaker Victoria Regina Lockhart will recount her experiences at the World Trade Center on that fateful day in 2001.
September 6, 2023, Jersey City, NJ – Twenty-two years ago, 2,977 people were killed when terrorists attacked the nation, targeting the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93. In all, citizens of 78 countries died and thousands were injured. A generation later, remembrances are held each year by families who lost loved ones, adults who grew up without parents, workers who lost colleagues, and supporters who continue to honor the lives lost.
Hudson County Community College (HCCC) invites students, faculty, staff, and community members to a special 9/11 Memorial on Monday, September 11, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event will be held in the Benjamin J. Dineen III and Dennis C. Hull Gallery and Atrium of the HCCC Gabert Library at 71 Sip Avenue in Jersey City. Food and refreshments will be served at noon. Those planning to attend are asked to register at https://tinyurl.com/HCCC-9-11memorial.
“The 9/11 terrorist attacks changed our way of life and our skyline but strengthened our resolve,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “More than 700 New Jerseyans, including 155 Hudson County residents, lost their lives. We will never forget them.”
The event’s keynote speaker, Victoria Regina Lockhart, was working for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on the 63rd floor of 1 World Trade Center when the first hijacked plane hit Tower One. The author, singer, and evangelist will share her memories of that day during the HCCC Memorial.
In her book, The Day I Lived, Ms. Lockhart recounts her harrowing experiences of 9/11, providing a poignant exploration of the day’s events. She wrote: “Shortly before the hijacked plane hit the building, I looked at the clock and said to myself, “The receptionist should be here shortly…” and “BOOM!!” The building swayed from side to side like a piece of paper.” The emotional resonance of her story, especially her family’s relief upon hearing her voice, is incredibly powerful. Ms. Lockhart believes in the power of music and ministry. “I don’t call myself a survivor; I believe you survive by chance and endure by choice…I am a victor!” she notes.
A key feature of the rooftop terrace that adjoins HCCC’s Atrium is the World Trade Center steel fragment that came to the College from the Office of the Executive Director at the New Jersey State Museum. Part of the Remember 9/11 exhibit at the Museum in 2013, the sculpture was donated to the College when the Museum sought appropriate institutions to display the fragments. Specifically, the steel fragment is believed to be from the North Tower’s East Façade, floors 89-92.