NYC Epicenters 9/11- 2021½

As COVID rips through NYC, ravaging Spike Lee's beloved Brooklyn at a devastating rate, New Yorkers come together to support doctors and nurses while navigating public school shutdowns. Also unfolding are the NYC demonstrations in support of Black Lives Matter as the nation contends with pent-up frustration and police violence in the wake of George Floyd's murder.

After inflammatory rhetoric emboldens the January 6 insurrection, Spike hears from the New York Representatives who were in or near the U.S. Capitol Building that day. While, the nation's first vaccine recipient provides hope.

Lee recounts the construction of the World Trade Center in the 1970s and how the bombing in 1993 foreshadowed the events of September 11. Survivors and frontline workers who rushed to the scene weave a vivid picture of the attacks as they unfold, including the boat captains who ferried thousands of New Yorkers to safety from the southern tip of Manhattan.

Though the city is united in grief and solidarity in the wake of 9/11, health problems of first responders, persecution of Sikhs and Muslims, and wide-ranging perspectives underscore the lasting impact of the tragedy. Lee hears from New Yorkers who reflect on the hardships the city has faced and its determination to emerge stronger than ever.