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    Kent State Anniversary and the Failing of History Class

    By 4 Mins Read
    Kent State University students, pictured throwing tear gas canisters back at the Ohio National Guard on 5 May, 1970, as depicted in the 5 May, 1970 Courier-Journal Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

    May 4, 2024, marks the 54th anniversary of the Kent State Massacre. The Kent State Massacre was the violent murder of four and wounding of nine university students who were protesting the United States invasion of Cambodia, during the Vietnam War in 1970. The shootings sparked outrage and further student demonstrations on college campuses throughout the country. Fast forward to today, where many lawmakers, especially those whose jobs have been the product of gerrymandering and voter suppression, are quick to dismiss the nationwide protests which are happening right now on college campuses as nothing more than Gen Z’ers with nothing better to do than complain.

    This is also probably how lawmakers felt about the protests of the Greensboro Four, who inspired sit-ins across the nation, when they non-violently protested being denied service at the “White’s Only,” Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960. 

    While politicians today may not be so quick to condemn the actions of the Greensboro Four, out loud, if they are fine with the murder of brown children, it would not be much of a stretch of the imagination to think they are fine with racism. Throughout our nation’s history, students have always been on the frontlines of protesting for the rights of others, this is not only not new, but they have rare misses. While they rack up student loan debt in a country that is finding it increasingly difficult to feed its own children but has no problem giving medical subsidies and munitions aid to a country that is killing children, it is no shock that these students are rightfully pissed. 

    As the United States continues to give aid to Israel, Israel is being investigated by the ICC (International Criminal Court) for war crimes, and it does not take a genius to figure out that killing thousands of children is genocidal. Unfortunately, there is a lot of bipartisan support for aid, even more from Republicans, the party of protecting the children, to continue on this path.  And while students throughout the country protest and demand their schools divest from Israel, it is important to note that there are 38 states which have laws designed to discourage the boycott and divestment from Israel, a country that, as was previously stated, is being investigated for war crimes. Imagine it being illegal to boycott a country, in a country that takes so much pride in ‘free speech.’

    This is the same free speech that many far-right Xitter users praise Elon Musk for protecting on his app, while also decrying protesters for exercising that same right. 

    Additionally, people are conflating protesting Israel with being antisemitic, especially when many of the protesters are Jewish, and many of those arrested are the actual history teachers, some Jewish. Not killing people should not be so controversial, but alas. Annelise Orleck is a history teacher who also teaches Jewish studies. She was arrested and banned from Dartmouth College for six months after protecting her students during a protest. Samer Alatout, an associate professor in sociology, and Sami Schalk, an associate professor of women and gender studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison were both arrested for attempting to protect their students; Samer’s arrest ended with him bleeding profusely from his head.

    Steve Tamari a 65-year-old, history teacher, was hospitalized with several broken ribs and a broken hand after a violent encounter with police at Georgetown University.  Even in Israel, Mier Baruchhin, a history teacher, was arrested in October for protesting the conflict via his social media.

    History teachers are usually the most informed about, well, history, and are pretty keen on recognizing the detriment that violent and inhumane treatment does to us all. It is a pretty good rule of thumb that if you are on the opposing side of history teachers, then you are usually on the wrong side of history. 

    Kyla Jenée Lacey is an accomplished third-person bio composer. Her spoken word has garnered tens of millions of views, and has been showcased on Pop Sugar, Write About Now, Buzzfeed, Harper’s Bizarre, Diet Prada, featured on the Tamron Hall show, and Laura Ingraham from Fox News called her work, “Anti-racist propaganda.”. She has performed spoken word at over 300 colleges in over 40 states. Kyla has been a finalist in the largest regional poetry slam in the country, no less than five times, and was nominated as Campus Activities Magazine Female Performer of the Year. Her work has been acknowledged by several Grammy-winning artists. Her poetry has been viewed over 50 million times and even used on protest billboards in multiple countries. She has written for large publications such as The Huffington Post, BET.com, and the Root Magazine and is the author of "Hickory Dickory Dock, I Do Not Want Your C*ck!!!," a book of tongue-in-cheek poems, about patriarchy....for manchildren.

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