Glass fragment from Ground Zero collected by Elizabeth "Queen Ann" Burnett

This piece of glass was collected by Elizabeth “Queen Ann” Burnett while working at the World Trade Center “Ground Zero” site in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001. A member of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), Burnett worked as an operating engineer maintaining and operating the heavy equipment used in the clean-up efforts. Growing up in New York City, Burnett was drawn to the construction trades and became a dock builder at the age of 18. Despite facing racial and gender discrimination, she landed an apprenticeship with the IUOE Local 15 in 1993 and began working all over New York City and New Jersey as an operating engineer.