Jane Fonda Coming To Kent State For May 4 Commemoration

KENT, OH — Academy Award winning actress and political activist Jane Fonda will speak during the 50th Commemoration of the May 4 shootings at Kent State University. The event will remember the four people killed during the Ohio National Guard shooting on May 4, 1970.

“It is our great responsibility and honor to welcome the nation and world to our campus,” said Kent State President Todd Diacon. “Together we will remember Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder, and honor Kent State and community members who have kept their memories alive for 50 years. We will listen to, and learn from, noted speakers, experts and performers, all while we absorb the lessons of the importance of free speech, the need for civil dialogue and the dangers of polarization.”

The university has been building a May 4 Memorial to mark where the four students were killed, establish a May 4 Visitors Center and secure the site's designation as a National Historic Landmark.

“We developed three pillars that guided all of our planning: honoring and remembering those killed and wounded; educating about May 4, 1970, and the dangers of polarizing rhetoric and divisive discourse; and above all, inspiring current and future students to be leaders in peaceful conflict resolution and reconciliation,” said Rod Flauhaus, project manager for the May 4 50th Commemoration.

Special events for the 50th Commemoration will be held over a four day span from May 1 through May 4. Each day will emphasize a different focus of the story, according to Kent State officials:

• Friday, May 1 – The Vietnam Anti-War Movement
• Saturday, May 2 – Impact of Student Activism
• Sunday, May 3 – Remembering the 50-Year May 4 Legacy
• Monday, May 4 – A Commemoration to Honor and Remember

Fonda will speak on May 3 during the Presidential Speaker Series. She will discuss her life and the impact of the May 4 shootings on her social activism. Her speech is free and open to the public, but tickets are needed for admission.