Over a hundred members of the Kent community gathered on Blanket Hill to listen to speakers reflect on the legacy of the 1970 May 4 shootings, which left four students dead and nine others injured.

This year’s annual commemoration theme was “The Power of Voices,” which was reflected by speakers recounting the events of May 4, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the May 4 Task Force and discussing the future of higher education with Senate Bill 1.

Eboni Pringle, senior vice president of Student Life, started the commemoration with an introduction about the theme.

“As we look back, we also look ahead with the awareness of the many ways in which the legacy of May 4 is evident in our university today and for years to come,” Pringle said.

Pringle’s introduction was followed by a pre-recorded performance from the Kent State Chorale and clips from “Fire in the Heartland,” a documentary about the events of May 4.

May 4 survivor John Cleary rang the Victory Bell, starting the commemoration. Although Cleary has visited campus several times since May 4, he said this was his first time ringing the bell.

“It was a real honor,” Cleary said. “I had not rang the bell before, so I was a little bit nervous, but it worked out well.” 

Attendees took a moment of silence after the ringing of the bell to honor the victims: Jeffrey Miller, Allison Kraus, William Schroeder and Sandra Scheuer, and the 15 individuals injured.

An audio recording was played of Florence Schroeder, mother of William Schroeder, from the May 4 Commemoration in 1999, highlighting each of the victims’ lives. It stressed the importance of remembering them as individuals instead of victims.

Chic Canfora, chair of the May 4 Presidential Advisory and May 4 Commemoration committees, spoke about the May 4 educational efforts.

“The May 4 Education Committee continues to play a significant role in deepening the role and legacy of student activism,” she said. “Through meaningful engagement and diversity and thought-provoking programs.”

These programs included a conversation on the book “The Hardhat Riot” by David Paul Kuhn on May 2, which follows the days after May 4 in New York, where construction workers fought with college students.

Chic Canfora also highlighted Eric Mansfield’s play, “Trial by Fire,” which was shown in partnership with the School of Theatre and Dance and the educational committee, and the creation of the peace mural on display at the School of Peace and Conflict Studies.

“Whether through art, education or leadership, Kent State today embraces its responsibility not only to honor those who fell 55 years ago today, but also to cultivate and inform and engage citizenry,” she said.

About 50 years ago, Alan Canfora, Robert Sampson and Dean Kahler formed the May 4 Task Force, leading to the creation of the memorial, May 4 Visitor Center and Library Resource Room, the walk tour, self-guided tours and memorial markers for the 13 students killed and injured.

“All of these were at one time dreams of the May 4 families and the May 4 Task Force, but today, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the task force, they stand as monuments to what we can accomplish,” Chic Canfora said.

After, President Todd Diacon presented to Sophie Swengel, a senior history major and chair of the task force, a plaque of recognition for the task force’s anniversary and its accomplishments.

Julian Grimes, a senior digital media production major and president of Black United Students, then advocated for students and others to protest the passage of SB1.

“Students, undergraduate students, look at these alumni in the face and let them know that you do not want to fight for the stuff that they fought for,” he said.

In accordance with the bill, spaces like the Women’s Center, E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center and LGBTQ+ Center will no longer be able to exist at the university, Grimes said.

“Wake up because if you didn’t learn anything from May 4, learn,” he said. “Students on this campus, students make change, students have the power. Us undergraduate students have the power, they need us.”

During each graduation commencement, there will be students collecting signatures for a petition to get SB1 back on the ballot. To do so, the students will need to collect 250,000 signatures, Grimes said.

Following Grimes’ speech, Kenneth Burhanna, dean of University Libraries, spoke about Jerry M. Lewis, emeritus professor, and his legacy. Amy Reynolds, dean of the College of Communication and Information, announced the May 4 scholarship award winners.

Diacon then told the crowd he has been struggling with recent changes and uncertainty.

“I’m struggling both to keep up with the changes and figure out what I can do, how I can lead Kent State University as its president,” he said.

With his knowledge of 20th-century Latin America and its authoritarian governments, Diacon said authoritarian governments challenge the rule of law. An individual in the crowd then shouted, “Sounds familiar?”

Diacon said authoritarian regimes come to power during polarization and violence, and those leaders justify their actions “by attacking their opponents as enemies.” 

From his past experiences of living in Brazil during a military dictatorship, Diacon said civic dialogue and discourse were not encouraged during it. 

Following the analysis of historic events and his experiences, Diacon expressed concern.

“It drives me to make comparisons between the past and the present, which then leads me to worry about a host of tendencies, trends and current events that I can control directly,” he said.

With the legacy of May 4, Diacon said the community is aware of what can occur when there is intolerance for discourse of opposing viewpoints.

“All of this is why we have and why we follow our core values of kindness and respect,” he said. “We do so because at Kent State University, we know what happens when distrust, when violent rhetoric and when polarization rain.”

With Diacon’s promise to continue promoting kindness and respect, Jesse Colin Young’s “Get Together” began to play with the lyrics, “Everybody get together/ And try to love one another right now.”

Adriana Gasiewski is a campus editor. Contact her at [email protected]. 

Nikki Gasiewski is a KSTV Reporter. Contact her at [email protected].