In honor of its 40th anniversary, a new, permanent exhibit – a guided walking tour of the historic May 4, 1970, site--will be installed on the Kent State University campus this spring. The ribbon cutting for the walking tour will be Monday, May 3, on the historic site.
The guided walking tour exhibit will include interpretive panels installed at each of the seven stops on the walk. The panels feature pictures, maps and written descriptions. Each trail marker will focus on different key aspects and events on May 4, 1970. A video documentary and audio complement the tour trail markers.
Notable civil rights activist and NAACP Chairman emeritus Julian Bond narrates the tour for the documentary and audio. Visitors will access the documentary within the site on their handheld mobile device by going to www.kent.edu/may4. They can listen to the audio narration by calling 330-672-MAY4 (6294) via cell phone.
“The walking tour tells the May 4 story and promotes public understanding of the meaning for today of this watershed moment in American history,” said Laura Davis, Kent State University professor of English and the faculty coordinator for May 4 initiatives.
On Feb. 23, 2010, the U.S. Department of the Interior placed the site of the May 4, 1970, shootings on the National Register of Historic Places. Patrick Andrus, the historian who reviewed the nomination for the National Park Service, said that for a site less than 50 years old to be listed shows the exceptional importance of the events that took place at Kent State.
The walking tour is a part of the Kent State May 4 Visitors Center, which will be located in Taylor Hall. Fundraising for the Kent State May 4 Visitors Center is currently underway. For more information on the center, visit www.kent.edu/may4.
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Media Contacts:
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595
Bob Burford, rburford@kent.edu, 330-672-8516