The 2022 5K: Why I Run, With Nykiah Morgan

  • April 20, 2022
  • Two dark-skinned women smile at the camera in front of a tree. The woman on the left is younger and wears a beige top; the woman on the right wears a black top and red lipstick.
  • A younger dark-skinned woman sits on an older woman's lap. On the left, the younger woman wears a black, teal, mustard, and pink top. The woman on the right wears yellow and black.

Nykiah Morgan with her mother, Dorothy

This Sunday, thousands will gather in lower Manhattan for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K, in person for the first time since 2019. The route of the race follows the path rescue and recovery workers took to access Ground Zero on 9/11 and in the days and weeks that followed. Participants pay tribute to them by running and walking in their footsteps. We spoke with Nykiah Morgan, whose mother Dorothy was killed on 9/11, about her mom's memory and why she participates in the event. 

I lost my mother, Dorothy Morgan, on 9/11. My mother was the most beautiful, kind, loving and genuine human being you could ever meet. Everyone that she met absolutely loved her. A memory about her that has stayed with me is standing behind her, in the bathroom, looking at her reflection the mirror as she did her hair and put on her makeup. She was absolutely beautiful. 

For the past 20 years, I’ve been mourning the sudden tragic loss of her life. I wish people understood how hard it was to lose a mother that’s your best friend, especially in the early stages of adulthood. I’ve lost out on sharing so many experiences with her. When I became a mom for the first time, I missed out on having her guidance on how to raise a child. My children are missing out on the love of a grandmother.

That’s why, this year I’m participating in the 9/11 Memorial 5K to publicly honor my mother. I’ll be running to celebrate her life, and to remember all those that were killed that day. Join me on April 24: register at runwalk.911memorial.org.

By Nykiah Morgan

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