Legacy May 4
A Podcast by Kent State Today.
Hosted by Stephen Ward, Vice President for University Communications & Marketing
The moments, mistakes, and wisdom that define our present and guide our future are held in a time capsule called Legacy.
It’s a gift we inherit, meant to challenge us and shape the narrative of what’s to come. The lessons within can guide us toward transformation, especially when history seems to echo its own refrain. As Americans, we’re woven into a tapestry of legacies, be it from July 4th, 1776, the pivotal year of 1619, or seismic dates like December 7th, 1941, and September 11th, 2001. And in the chapters of our collective story lies another date of profound significance: May 4th, 1970.
Episode One: Scene Setting
Kent State moves from the optimism and opportunity of 1960s higher education to become a turning point for the nation with the tragedy of May 4, 1970.
Activist Chic Canfora shares perspectives as a young woman of the 1960s, and we compare experiences with two students of a half-century later.
Featuring historical audio from before and after the shootings, and Canfora’s touching thoughts on the impact of May 4.
Episode Two: Quest for Legacy
Kent State 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. They tell him not to blame Kent State students and to investigate the shootings.
Nixon suffers through the turmoil following his decision to invade Cambodia, the Kent State shootings and nationwide fallout, and then the pro-war response. The frustrated concert pianist-president seeks solace in Rachmaninoff during the wee hours.
We move into the 21st century with Associate Dean and retired LtCol Mo McFarland on the May 4 legacy.
Episode Three: Peace Upon the Earth
The School of Peace and Conflict Studies originated at Kent State as a response to May 4. Today it’s central in Kent State’s global presence. We travel to Rwanda, where Kent State 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.
Later, it’s off to Brazil, where peace education is within the core of an innovative program with Kent State’s partner university in Curitiba.
And then, Kent State expands its presence in Southeast Asia through education partnership in Cambodia.
Episode Four: Lofty Purpose Shared
Practical ideas and noble ideals drove bipartisan embrace of higher education during the years preceding 1970. And then, to what extent did Kent State trigger the steady decline of easy access to university educations and the idea that college isn’t, and shouldn’t be, for everyone?
Writer and author Will Bunch, of the Philadelphia Enquirer, provides historical context and Kent State President Todd Diacon shares the experience of following values to navigate today’s divided culture, using lessons learned from May 4 1970.
Other Voices on May 4, 1970
Notable Americans at Kent State and May 4, 1970 Recollections
Music and Musicians on May 4
