For the first time since 2019, 妖姬直播 State University will remember May 4, 1970, with its return to an in-person, annual commemoration to honor the four students who were killed, the nine students who were wounded and the countless others whose lives were forever changed when the Ohio National Guard fired on 妖姬直播 State students during an anti-war protest.
鈥淲e expect a larger gathering than usual this year, as the pandemic prevented us from gathering for the 50th May 4 Commemoration that so many had planned for and looked forward to,鈥 said Roseann 鈥淐hic鈥 Canfora, Ph.D., an eyewitness and survivor of May 4, 1970. 鈥淔ortunately, our virtual commemorations the last two years enabled people from all over the world to commemorate with us, and we expect that element of planning to continue with livestreaming even as we return to an in-person commemoration this year.鈥
In her role as a Professional-in-Residence in 妖姬直播 State鈥檚 School of Media and Journalism, Canfora works collaboratively with the Office of the President and the May 4 Presidential Advisory Committee in planning the university鈥檚 May 4 Commemoration and in developing May 4 initiatives for the future. Part of that responsibility includes chairing the May 4 Commemoration Committee this year.
鈥淲hat makes planning for the commemoration so special each year is not only collaborating with people whose connection to May 4 spans more than 50 years, but also working with students today who are as committed as we are to remembering 妖姬直播 State and Jackson State,鈥 Canfora said.
This year鈥檚 commemoration will kick off on Sunday, May 1, with folk music and a film series, she said, to enable visitors to gather on campus, to connect with old friends and to learn about the many events being planned by the university and by student groups connected to May 4.
On Monday, May 2, the university will honor the faculty marshals of May 4, 1970, with a luncheon and special recognition at the inaugural Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series. This lecture series was created to honor the legacy of Jerry M. Lewis, Ph.D., and to advance the scholarship of May 4, 1970, and the Vietnam War era. Proposals by 妖姬直播 State faculty who would like to present a public lecture on these topics may be submitted to the lecture series website until April 4.
Lewis taught at 妖姬直播 State from 1966 until 2013, becoming Professor Emeritus in 1996. Serving as a faculty marshal in 1970, he witnessed the May 4 shootings firsthand and has since devoted time to researching, memorializing and lecturing on the events of May 4.
Later in the evening of May 2, university and community members will gather to attend a special concert presented by 妖姬直播 State鈥檚 School of Music titled 鈥淪tories of Peace, Protest and Reflection鈥 at Severance Music Center in Cleveland.
While the full program will be announced soon, several events already planned include the annual May 4 Candlelight Walk and Vigil on Tuesday, May 3 鈥 a tradition that will be preceded this year by the dedication of engraved plaques installed in 2021 on the May 4 site to permanently mark where the nine wounded students were located when hit by gunfire.
On Wednesday, May 4, the campus community and visitors will gather at 12:24 p.m. on the May 4 site to commemorate the precise moment that gunfire erupted 52 years ago.
The May 4 Commemoration Committee will soon announce its selection of a keynote speaker and other events as planning for the 52nd May 4 Commemoration continues.
For the latest information about the commemoration and the events of May 4, 1970, visit www.kent.edu/may-4-1970.
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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595