Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum: Teaching a message of hope and peace
Open since 2000, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum was built to honor the people who died, survived and whose lives were impacted by the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation commissioned these commemorative memorials to help educate visitors about terrorism, hope, strength, peace and the unity that brought people together after the bombing. The memorial development began with the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial, dedicated on April 19, 2000—exactly five years after the attack. Then, almost a year later the Museum was opened to the public.
The outdoor memorial consists of a field of lighted chairs to honor the 168 lives lost, a reflecting pool and the Survivor Tree—all together these pieces create a sense of calm and peacefulness. The chairs are aligned in rows representing the nine floors of the original building—19 of the chairs are smaller to recognize the children who were lost. At the east end of the chairs, you’ll find the only remaining wall from the original building that has been signed by the more than 800 survivors of the attack. Explore the many elements of this outdoor memorial any time for free; it is open 24 hours a day.
Indoors, the 30,000 square foot museum tells the story of the attack through interactive hands-on exhibits. While sharing the story of death and destruction, there is a message of optimism and hope conveyed through these experiences. The museum is divided into 10 main areas as it tells the story from the moment of attack with the use of audio and video footage. Each chapter shares an important part of the overall story; some of the topics include the history of terrorism, chaos, rescue, recovery, impact, world reaction, morning and hope.
There is also a children’s area to explore with photos and other artifacts to help children learn about the impact of violence and to understand the message of hope and peace that is so strongly promoted throughout the museum exhibits. It’s important to understand that the memorial and museum are not intended to share a message about crime, but rather to remember the lives lost and the bravery and unity throughout the world in response to the tragedy.
The museum offers several educational programs, including a memorial essay contest, field trips, workshops and teacher training programs and curricula. The Called2Change program is designed for middle school students to teach them about respect and responsibility. This program has been implemented in many of the Oklahoma schools and has several components including visiting the memorial and museum and participating in group writing, reading and creative projects centered on identifying ways to contribute to serving others, the impact of violence and communication.
Posted by Jennifer Pruett
