09/11/2026
25 years ago today, our lives changed forever.
On September 11, 2001, I was in Columbus, Ohio, attending a conference for my work with Kaleidoscope, a nonprofit that helped people impacted by poverty navigate systems, strengthen their families, and work toward reunification or permanent placement when Child Protective Services was involved.
I was a working mother with three children in school and childcare.
That morning, as I was getting ready for the second day of the conference, I watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center.
Like millions of Americans, I was devastated.
My first thought was my children. I started calling to make sure they were safe and checking with their schools. I knew immediately that something had changed in our country.
I couldn't simply get in my car and go home. We had traveled together. Highways were packed. There was confusion everywhere. So I waited, watched the news, prayed and stayed glued to the screen, thankful every time someone made it out and devastated by every life lost.
One lost life is always too many.
Twenty-five years later, I haven't forgotten that feeling.
Today, as we remember the people who lost their lives on 9/11, the families who still carry that loss, and the first responders, workers and everyday people who ran toward danger to help others, I also think about what tragedy teaches us about leadership.
We must protect democracy. We need transparency. We need strong emergency and disaster preparedness. We need infrastructure and public systems that work when people need them most. And we need leaders prepared to serve ALL of us when crisis comes y'all not based on ZIP code, income, race, housing status, disability or who you know.
That includes having plans for our children, elders, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness and even our furry family members.
Today, 25 years later, I'm again at a conference focused on saving and improving lives. The work continues.
And that's part of why I'm running for Mayor of Louisville.
I want a Louisville Metro Government that works for everyone on ordinary days and is prepared to protect and serve everyone on our hardest days.
Today, please take a moment to remember and honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001. ❤️🇺🇸
Then let's keep doing the work of building a city and country worthy of their memory.
We deserve better and we get there together. ❤️
ShamekaForLouisville.com
