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May 4

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ Today
Candlelight Walk and Vigil 2021

Tonight, the annual candlelight walk and vigil continues a 53-year tradition as part of this week's May 4 Commemoration.

New May 4 sign

A refreshed May 4 National Historic Landmark Site Tour will premiere during the 2024 May 4 commemoration this weekend.  The outdoor tour signs, which debuted in 2010 during the 40th commemoration, allow Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ visitors to trace the steps of history of the events of May 4, 1970, through text, video, image, and narration.

You Belong Here Rock

Writer and author Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Enquirer, provides historical context and Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ President Todd Diacon shares the experience of following values to navigate today’s divided culture, using lessons learned from May 4 1970. 

May 4 Commemoration graphic

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ University will hold its 54th annual commemoration honoring the memory of May 4, 1970, a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard fired on Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four students, wounding nine others and sparking a turning point in American history.

Pacifique Niyonzima, far right, program manager of Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹'s Office of Education Abroad in Africa, based in Kigali, Rwanda, greets students taking part in the Kigali Summer Institute, upon their arrival in Rwanda on July 2, 2023..

The School of Peace and Conflict Studies originated at Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ as a response to May 4. Today it’s central in Á½ÐÔÉ«Îçҹ’s global presence. We travel to Rwanda, where Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ convened a global peace education conference and, through the Kigali Summer Institute, immerses students in peace-building centered on reconciliation, in a place that experienced the unimaginable 1994 genocide.

KSU Students in Nixon office

Listen to episode two of May 4: Legacy, which continues with the story of Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ fraternity brothers drive to the nation’s capital in the hours after the shootings and make their way to an Oval Office meeting with President Richard Nixon. We also move into the 21st century with Associate Dean and retired Lt. Col. Mo McFarland on the May 4 legacy.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ Today
may4

What’s past is prologue. Let the history of May 4, 1970, be heard this week. 

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ Today
Alison Caplan in Washington DC

In her first year as the director of the May 4 Visitor Center, Alison Caplan has enjoyed uniquely wonderful and "magical" experiences in how Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹'s history creates connections and inspiration.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ Today
Assistant Professor Sara Koopman

The idea was simple: Physically connect people with the locations of the May 4, 1970, Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ University shootings so they might better connect with each other.

Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ students at 2023 May 4 Commemoration

An all-day conference, presented by the May 4 Education Committee for K-12 educators, students, and Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹ University faculty and staff, will help participants demonstrate knowledge about the critical history of student activism and organizing at Á½ÐÔÉ«ÎçÒ¹, emphasizing the significance of May 4.