Laurel commemorates 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with memorial, first-responder tributes

Natalie Williams, director of the Department of Communications for the city of Laurel, opened the ceremony Tuesday evening and framed the event as a community remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. "We pause to reflect on a moment that continues to shape our nation and inspires us to uphold resilience and unity," Williams said as she introduced the program and invited the Laurel Police Department and Laurel High School Choir to participate.

Mayor Keith Sidmore delivered the principal civic remarks, citing casualty figures and urging civic service. He said "2,977 innocent people were killed in a terrorist attack," and asked residents to "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," invoking service and unity. The ceremony also featured a video narrated by Joyce Jackson that included eyewitness audio and reflections from first responders, a reading of a patriotic poem, and music from the high school choir. Williams noted the city's memorial garden displays an I-beam recovered from the World Trade Center, a tangible link the city uses to educate younger generations.