The actor/activist, who at 82 is still making headlines for various political demonstrations and her outspoken ways, is just one of the many people coming to the campus the weekend of May 4 to remember the tragic deaths of four KSU students at the hands of the Ohio National Guard 50 years ago.
“It is our great responsibility and honor to welcome the nation and world to our campus,” Kent State President Todd Diacon said in a statement. “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 schedule of events is as follows: Fri., May 1 – Welcome reception
Sat., May 2 – Discussion on the impact of student activists
Sun., May 3 – The May 4 legacy past and present
Mon., May 4 – The commemoration ceremony
(Find a whole list of events and more details right here.)
Fonda, who was most recently seen presenting at the Oscars in a dress she had worn previously, is set to talk about her life and activism on May 3 for the Presidential Speaker Series. While the speech is free for all to attend, tickets are required.
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This article appears in Feb 12-18, 2020.
KSU IS GIVING HER EIGHTY-THREE GRAND FOR THIS?
Lifelong lefty here, but if I were a Kent grad, I’d stand outside and burn my diploma.
Eighty-three big ones. How many dollars a word is that? To talk about her life and activism? Does anybody really care about her and her 82 years of elitism anymore? Explain why I should give a shit.
KSU is doing this so that the haters and the Vietnam vets, who have fifty-year-long memories and who still despise her, can heckle her and call her “Traitor Jane” and maybe start a few fistfights with old radicals and hippies. GEEZERS RUMBLE AT KENT 50TH…just what Kent needs in order to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons (AGAIN) and to generate more clicks.
Who’s paying for the necessary metal detectors and security perimeters and bodyguards? And who the hell thought up this stupid idea, anyhow? Pass that pipe over here, bro!
Bernadine Dohrn is much more interesting. After all…no SDS…no May Fourth. No dead in O-high-o…
What a sick joke!
When you send a complaint email – you get this…
Dear XXX
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the upcoming speaker.
As a Kent State graduate and Portage County resident, you can feel the impact of the upcoming 50th commemoration on a much deeper level than most.
Here’s what I can share with you about the event.
The May 4 50th Commemoration Advisory Committee developed three pillars that guided the 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.
Reconciliation is an important component of learning from the tragic events of May 4. Ms. Fonda has publicly shared her regret, not for her views, but for the way she demonstrated these views. She is an example of reconciliation and learning vital to productive and meaningful civil dialogue. She was also a participant in May 4 remembrance activities at Kent State shortly after the shootings.
The legacy of May 4, 1970, has revealed lessons that today are more important than ever, including the importance of free speech and the need for civil dialogue. Kent State has a long history of supporting respectful dialogue of all points of view.
Respectfully,
Eric Mansfield
Mansfield, Eric