Oklahoma resiliency

Wednesday marks the anniversary of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a heinous event that took the lives of 168 people and affected thousands more, physically and mentally.

The anniversary and the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum give us space and time to pause to honor and remember the victims, survivors, rescuers and all who were affected by the bombing. It is also a time to express pride in how our community responded to hate and violence by working together, helping others through their physical and emotional healing and committing to the rebuilding of our city.

The bombing damaged or destroyed 324 buildings within a 16-block radius, causing $652 million in damage. Buildings were reduced to rubble and businesses refocused on rescue and recovery. But we were determined not to let the act of hate cripple our city. We grew stronger.

Before the bombing, the first MAPS program had been approved. It included the construction of the Bricktown Ballpark, the Bricktown Canal and several other civic projects. There was concern that the scope of the destruction would jeopardize the renewal of downtown. The opposite happened. The response afterward solidified our resolve and commitment to building a better community, and the energy created by investing in ourselves furthered the transformation of our downtown.

Read the full article at The Journal Record