May 4 Task Force

Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg speaks in the Kent Student Center Kiva.

Parkland survivor David Hogg brought his message of activism and voter participation to Kent State University with his talk March 14 in the Kent Student Center Kiva.

Douglas Scott McKenzie with Amy Reynolds and Todd Diacon at May 4 Commemoration 2023

The Kent State Community came together for the 53rd Commemoration of May 4, 1970. 

Avery Hall

Serving as the Chair of the May 4 Task Force has been something communication studies major Avery Hall, ’23, describes as one of the most impactful and rewarding experiences she’s had at Kent State University. “May 4, 1970, is a living legacy at Kent State with relevant implications for students today. Continuing the legacy of May 4th quickly became of great importance to me,” she said.

Portraits of the four students killed on May 4, 1970, sit on chairs on stage in the Kent Student Center Ballroom during the 47th Commemoration of May 4.

A portion of Kent State University’s Kent Campus has taken its place alongside the nation’s most significant historic locations, joining such sites as the Grand Canyon National Park, Pearl Harbor and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

A Kent State University student stands vigil at the spot where Allison Krause was shot on May 4, 1970. Krause and three other students were killed during the May 4, 1970, shootings by Ohio National Guardsmen on the Kent State campus.

Kent State University holds its 47th annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with events taking place May 3 and 4. The annual commemoration, hosted by the May 4 Task Force, provides an opportunity for the university community to gather and remember those who were lost and injured during the tragedy and also reflect on what May 4 means today. 

School of Peace & Conflict Studies