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 years later, it continues to stand as a living symbol of resilience. The tree symbolizes the resilience of those affected by the bombing.
Oklahoma City was only momentarily paused in its development. The city turned the tragedy around, rebuilding downtown, and enhancing the existing area.
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.
Visitors are left with a sense of hope and triumph in Chapter 10 of the Memorial Museum. Here, you discover how the Memorial Museum perfectly reflects the sentiment of the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial, and are left with the feeling that we as a state and nation, triumphed over this tragedy.
