On May 4, 1970, four unarmed college students were killed and nine injured during a peaceful rally. National Guard soldiers fired on participants at the anti-Vietnam War gathering. The massacre trigger public outrage causing the largest student strike in history with millions of students participating. Although a Commission report concluded that the shootings were unjustified, no one was convicted in the shootings.
Read the recently published young adult books, then learn more at the website:
KENT STATE by Deborah Wiles is a work of historical fiction telling the story of the May 4, 1970 incident through multiple voices and vantage points.
KENT STATE: FOUR DEAD IN OHIO by Derf Backderf is a graphic history exploring the lives of the four young people who died and the events leading up to the May 4th tragedy.
KENT STATE SHOOTINGS is a digital collection from Kent State University’s Special Collections and Archives. The May 4 Collection includes an array of primary sources related to the tragedy and its aftermath including an oral history project, digital archive, and information packet.
To visit the digital collection, go to https://bit.ly/3ngaHO7.
ARC courtesy of Scholastic and Abrams.
