Who were the heroic women of ground zero?

Women were first-responders at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. But many of us don't know about them, and the media hasn't been covering their stories. Last night, I attended a screening of Beyond Bravery: The Women of 9/11, a documentary which will air on CNN on Sept. 11 at 10 p.m., eastern. It is a must-watch. The event was presented by Women's eNews, a great organization.

Soledad O'Brien moderated a panel of first-responders after the screening. Brenda Berkman (one of the first women to be accepted into the FDNY) and Regina Wilson (a firefighter for the Fire Department of NYC) were there. Why is it that there are only 29 firefighters that are women in NYC? We need more!

When I asked Regina what special qualities women firefighters bring to the job, she said, "Women are the glue that holds it all together."

On a personal note, I had interviewed Soledad for my of my shows, "Mothers and Sons: Raising Compassionate Men". At the time her twin boys were about two. I noticed a young man sitting up front and later Soledad introduced me to him as one of her sons—now age 7. How time flies!

Let's take a moment to pay tribute to the women involved in Sept. 11, some are still with us, and there are those heroes who have passed on.

Watch the trailer for the documentary on CNN.

Left to right: Soledad O'Brien, Brenda Berkman, Regina Wilson, and Françoise Jacobsohn (project manager for Equality Works)