POV: StoryCorps 9/11

StoryCorps has spent years recording American history through stories told by everyday citizens from all walks of life. So it is a natural fit that the organization would be a key player in reconstructing the personal narratives of the September 11, 2001, tragedy at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. What is truly fascinating about StoryCorps’ 9/11 project, and what makes it such a unique statement about the events of that fateful day, is its scope: 1,000 stories already recorded over six years, memorializing more than 600 victims. The ongoing project’s goal is to document at least one personal account from a friend or family member of each person who perished in the largest terrorist attack ever on American soil, and the collection will be preserved as part of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Each remembrance, typically only a few minutes in length, celebrates the life of an individual, and powerfully examines the impact of the loss. Taken in total – anthologized on NPR, the web, and through understated animated companion videos created by the Rauch brothers – the magnitude of that day comes into sharp focus. Each of those who died is more than just a number and a name; we do a service to those we’ve lost by simply telling their stories. For the noble, massive mission of collecting personal records from a tragedy that should never be allowed to fade from our memory, StoryCorps 9/11 receives a Peabody Award.