Lessons Learned
When We Work Together, We Can Overcome Any Adversity
The Survivor Tree, an American Elm, bore witness to the violence of April 19, 1995, and withstood the full force of the attack. Originally, it was thought the tree would not survive, but decades later, it’s done more than survive. It’s grown. And it continues to stand as a living, tangible symbol of resilience and strength.
Oklahoma City was only momentarily paused in its development. The city turned the tragedy around, rebuilding downtown, and turning the bombing site into a moving expression of remembrance, unity, hope and resilience.
As a result of the Oklahoma City and Kenya bombings, the University of Oklahoma Terrorism and Disaster Center (TDC) was formed. Through multi-year grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the TDC has done groundbreaking work in understanding the essence of resilience and in creating more resilient communities.
The sense of resilience is even stronger in the Memorial Museum, where in Chapter 10 visitors are left with a sense of hope and triumph. Here, you discover how the Memorial Museum perfectly expands on the sentiments and symbolism of the Memorial, leaving you with the feeling that as a state and nation, we have and always will triumph over tragedy.
