May 4 Visitors Center

Submit your photos for the May 4 Visitors Center Exhibit

On May 4, 1970, Kent State University was placed in an international spotlight after a student protest against the Vietnam War and the presence of the Ohio National Guard on campus ended in tragedy. Twenty-eight Guardsmen fired 67 shots for thirteen seconds, killing Kent State students Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder, and wounding nine other students, permanently paralyzing one. Demonstrations at Kent State marked the climax of a decade-long national student protest movement with roots in the civil rights movement of the early sixties. On college campuses, the generation gap of the sixties was strongly felt, with those in positions of authority--parents, campus administrators, politicians, and law enforcement officials--squarely lined up on one side of the divide and rising numbers of students on the other.

From the perspective of 40 years, Kent State remembers the tragedy of May 4, 1970, and seeks meaning for today in its history. The memory of those who died and were wounded asks us to publicly acknowledge what happened and to recognize the claims that other human beings have on us in order to honor and preserve their stories and to seek universal meaning. May 4 shows the need to communicate effectively and employ nonviolent conflict resolution. May 4 affirms the importance of protecting the First Amendment to preserve democratic values and support ongoing social change. As is true of violent events of such import, May 4 asks us to respect diverse, and even unpopular, perspectives, to acknowledge multiple understandings and to pursue historical accuracy.

The history of May 4 encourages each of us today to answer the question, What can I do?