9/11: 20 YEARS AGO IN THE HISTORY OF SARASOTA
It was Tuesday, September 11, 2001, when a second grade class at Emma E. Booker Elementary School experienced a moment they would never forget with President George W. Bush, when an aide entered the room and whispered an urgent message in the president’s ear. President Bush, seven months into his presidency, was informed that there had been a terrorist attack on New York City’s World Trade Center. A series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda caused mass casualties, resulting in 2,977 fatalities and over 25,000 injuries. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in human history.
Often referred to as 9/11, Americans will never forget the attacks that day, and most remember where they were when the tragedy happened. Victor Johnson, Jr. is one. He was 10 years old and in the 4th grade.
“I remember seeing teachers panicking with fear because we did not know what was going on,”
he said. “The President was being escorted from the area and they were getting the students out of there as quickly as possible. When we finally learned what happened, I thought, ‘are they going to hit the school, too?” The events of that day led Johnson to want to serve in the armed forces and protect this country. “It played a role into where I am today in the military,” he said. “I wanted to be able to serve my country in a meaningful way.” Today, Johnson is a Captain the United States Air Force where he works as a Resource Management Flight Commander, the equivalent to a Health Administrator, supervising department of defense employees.
Another student who vividly remembers the events of 9/11 is Carlton Shelley II. “That event played a large role in my development,” Shelley said. “It was surreal and at that age, we did not understand what was going on,” he said. A year later, on June 4, 2002, Shelley wrote a graduation essay which said in part: “We are the 9/11 class – with all the horrific events that have happened this school year … including the terrorist attacks where thousands of innocent men, women and children were slaughtered . . . Because of it, I have more perseverance and I am more patriotic.” Shelley said the events of 9/11 affected him in such way that it prompted him to go into the military. He went on to become commissioned as an Armor officer from the United States Military Academy in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. He served in a variety of capacities as a U.S. Army Officer including time as a Buffalo Soldier in the 9th Calvary Regiment. He is currently the Director of Finance with an all-volunteer organization called Collaborate and Graduate, which works with minority candidates with clear leadership potential and strong academic records who, nonetheless, fall short of admissions standards due to poor standardized test scores.
“I will never forget the events of 9/11,” said Andre Hobbs.
“I was excited about meeting the President of the United States and I remember getting to the school and seeing all kinds of security surrounding our school. When President Bush walked into the library, you could see the excitement and joy on everyone’s face. A few moments later, that same excitement and joy quickly turned into fear and sadness, when the President told us about the planes crashing into the World Trade Centers,”
Hobbs said. “I remember standing about 10 feet behind the President listening to him give a very quick breakdown of the events that had just taken place. Immediately after that he walked out and we were escorted back to our classroom by security. I remember being very upset because I didn’t get a chance to shake President Bush’s hand! As I got older, I began to understand just how important and historical that day was.” Today, Hobbs is 30 years old and a father of three. He still lives in Sarasota and is the Program Director at the Newtown Boys and girls Club – directly across the street from Emma E Booker Elementary School.
Edwina Oliver was an ESE self-contained teacher for grades 3-5 at Emma E. Booker in 2001. She is now the school’s principal. “The events of 9/11 made me realize that although America is a free country, we were extremely vulnerable,” she said. “Looking at where we are present day, I am more afraid with what we are dealing with domestically than foreign attacks.” Oliver is the proud principal of the school now and “leads one of the hardest working groups of men and women who are charged with educating our children, in conjunction with the support of our families and the community,” she said.
President George W. Bush speaks to students at Emma E. Booker on September 11, 2001. Andre Hobbs and Victor Johnson, Jr. are pictured.
