Marian Fontana

After the 9/11 attacks, after the smoke was gone, after the rubble cleared away, New Yorkers had a city to rebuild. In response to fast-tracked redevelopment plans, more than 5,000 people gathered in the largest town hall in American history. They came to vote on the city’s six proposals for rebuilding Ground Zero. But instead, the people rejected the top down approach and successfully charted a new path forward. Their work determined what is at Ground Zero today. And their story is an example of what democracy can look like.

Tania Head became a household name as a 9/11 survivor, celebrated for her miraculous escape from the very floor the plane hit. Her story of resilience, coupled with the heartbreaking death of her fiancé, Dave, moved the nation. As president of the Survivors' Network, she was a symbol of American strength, a fixture alongside political elites at Ground Zero. The illusion shattered in 2007 when a New York Times investigation proved her story was a lie: her career, her fiancé, even her identity.

Tania Head was the ultimate 9/11 survivor. She had the grimmest story. None of it was true.