PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mariama James, 9/11 Survivor and Advocate
1:56:57
ยท
4 min
Mariama James, a 9/11 survivor and mother of survivors, shared her personal experiences with the aftermath of the attacks and advocated for transparency regarding the city's knowledge of environmental hazards. She emphasized the importance of disclosing what New York City officials knew about the dangers at Ground Zero and when they knew it.
- James highlighted the health impacts on her family, including her children's chronic illnesses and her father's death.
- She referenced a 2001 memo predicting 10,000 toxic injury claims, contrasting with public assurances of safety.
- James questioned the Adams administration's transparency and supported Council member Brewer's resolution for an investigation into these matters.
Mariama James
1:56:57
Good morning.
1:56:57
My name is Mariama James.
1:56:59
I am, as described under the Zadroga law, a, 9 11 survivor, the mother of 3 survivors, and the daughter of 2 now late survivors.
1:57:13
On, 9 11, I was almost 9 months pregnant with my youngest child.
1:57:18
And in the days following, we had because it had been so warm on that day, we had dust that was inches thick inside our home, throughout our home.
1:57:28
The window had been open, lived just a few blocks down, to the east from the with the then Twin Towers, ironically, on which my grandfather had been one of 3 black men, part of the construction, which is in part how my family ended up downtown all the way back in 19 seventies.
1:57:52
I ended up getting on my at almost 9 months pregnant, getting on my hands and knees and ripping up my carpeting, and, like, disposing of it, all these things myself.
1:58:05
My daughter my youngest daughter was first, obviously, exposed in utero, but, by the time she was 10 months old, all 3 of my children were chronically ill, pulmonary issues.
1:58:16
And it was through that or, because of that that I ended up doing 9:11, advocacy, for over the past 2 decades.
1:58:28
In, I believe, 2003, I was quoted in Reuters, telling then president Bush that 911 could become, you know, America's Chernobyl if he didn't do something, if somebody didn't do something.
1:58:44
And, in 2006, on my birthday, actually, June 13, 2006, friend of mine, neighbor of mine, world, renowned at this point, photographer Alan Tannenbaum, took pictures of myself, my 3 kids, and my dad and, in my apartment and published those as part of a, Times Magazine online, spread.
1:59:11
And everybody that was it was called, like, 911, still killing or something like that.
1:59:16
And I think he's done a few more in the series since then, but this first, iteration of it, everyone in that photo spread montage, is is dead, with the exception of my children and I, including my own father.
1:59:35
It's it's all of this happened because we were uninformed, obviously.
1:59:40
There was a day in 2003 when people basically in space suits showed up at my door.
1:59:47
I was on my way to work.
1:59:49
I told the babysitter to go home.
1:59:51
I picked up my toddler, and I took her to work with me because, obviously, you know, I we didn't have the protections that they did.
1:59:58
They so I'm sorry.
2:00:01
Let me get I I just wanted to give context as to why I'm here, but quickly, as we approach the 25th anniversary of the attack, it's imperative that we finally disclose what the city of New York knew about the dangers and the toxins at ground 0 and when they knew it.
2:00:15
We have compelling evidence from press reports indicating that in in a memo drafted in October of 2001 to then deputy mayor Harding, the city predicted there would be 10,000 claims of toxic injuries by that time.
2:00:27
However, the basis for this alarming prediction remains unclear.
2:00:30
At the same time, the city, state, and federal government were assuring the public that the air was safe to breathe and that it was safe for residents and school children to return.
2:00:38
This raises the critical question, what is the Adams administration hiding?
2:00:42
Furthermore, in response to freedom information request and subsequent lawsuit aimed at obtaining 911 documents, the city claimed that it could find no documents within the entire Department of Environmental Protection concerning 911.
2:00:56
Absolutely nothing.
2:00:57
Yet the mayor's office communicated to congressman Nadler, congressman Goldman, and former congressman Maloney that they would release the documents, but only after securing additional liability protection, which implies that such documents do indeed exist.
2:01:12
Council member Brewer's resolution seeks to utilize the powers granted to the city council under the city charter to order an investigation into these matters, and this avenue should indeed be pursued.
2:01:23
Thank you.