‘Our community came together’: Advocate reflects on ‘95 OKC bombing

On April 19, 1995, America was rocked by a homegrown terrorist attack — the Oklahoma City bombing. This Saturday, looks back at the heroes and the journalists who were there as the chaos unfolded. Tune into “ON AIR LIVE: The Oklahoma City Bombing” at 9p/8C. Find out how to watch.

OKLAHOMA CITY () — A public ceremony at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum on Saturday will honor the 168 people killed in the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah federal complex in 1995.

Kari Watkins, president and CEO of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, said the city has been resilient in the face of “that day of darkness.”

“We’ve spent the last 30 years understanding that day of darkness but enjoying years of light,” she told . “And that’s because we’ve worked together, been united, rebuilt.”

Watkins said Oklahoma City has served as an example for other cities of how to rebound from trauma.

“We rebuilt our city in a way that is a city on the hill,” she said. “It stands for other cities who go through trauma, to come and learn from us. The families and survivors and first responders are in great shape; they figured out how to put their lives back together and move forward. And everyone grieves and moves forward in different ways, and Oklahoma City is no different.”

Saturday’s memorial will feature remarks from victims’ family members and survivors as well as a keynote address by former President Bill Clinton, who was in his first term when the bombing took place.

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