May 14, 2010
Four decades ago, on May 4, 1970, four students were killed at Kent
State University when National Guardsmen opened fire on hundreds of
unarmed students at an on-campus antiwar rally. The killings received
national media attention and are still remembered forty years later
across the country. But the media has largely forgotten what happened
just ten days after the Kent State shootings. On May 14, 1970, local and
state police opened fire on a group of students at the predominantly
black Jackson State College in Mississippi. In a twenty-eight-second
barrage of gunfire, police fired hundreds of rounds into the crowd. Two
were killed and a dozen injured. We speak with Gene Young, a former
student at Jackson State who witnessed the shooting.
"Fire in the Heartland", excerpt from
the new documentary 'Fire
in the Heartland: Kent State, May 4th, and Student Protest'.
Gene Young, witness to the Jackson State
tragedy and longtime civil rights activist. He began his activism as a
pre-teen, getting arrested for civil disobedience at a bus station at
the age of twelve. Before his thirteenth birthday, Young took his first
plane ride to New York to speak to civil rights groups. He attended the
1963 March on Washington and testified at the House of Representatives,
alongside civil- and voting-rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. He has
continued his activism to this day and was a featured speaker last week
at an event commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the Kent State
shootings.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Four decades ago, on May 4, 1970, four students were killed at Kent
State University when National Guardsmen opened fire on hundreds of
unarmed students at an on-campus antiwar rally. The killings received
national media attention and are still remembered forty years later
across the country. But the media has largely forgotten what happened
just ten days after the Kent State shootings. On May 14, 1970, local and
state police opened fire on a group of students at the predominantly
black Jackson State College in Mississippi. In a twenty-eight-second
barrage of gunfire, police fired hundreds of rounds into the crowd. Two
were killed and a dozen injured. We speak with Gene Young, a former
student at Jackson State who witnessed the shooting.
"Fire in the Heartland", excerpt from
the new documentary 'Fire
in the Heartland: Kent State, May 4th, and Student Protest'.
Gene Young, witness to the Jackson State
tragedy and longtime civil rights activist. He began his activism as a
pre-teen, getting arrested for civil disobedience at a bus station at
the age of twelve. Before his thirteenth birthday, Young took his first
plane ride to New York to speak to civil rights groups. He attended the
1963 March on Washington and testified at the House of Representatives,
alongside civil- and voting-rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. He has
continued his activism to this day and was a featured speaker last week
at an event commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the Kent State
shootings.
Four decades ago, on May 4, 1970, four students were killed at Kent
State University when National Guardsmen opened fire on hundreds of
unarmed students at an on-campus antiwar rally. The killings received
national media attention and are still remembered forty years later
across the country. But the media has largely forgotten what happened
just ten days after the Kent State shootings. On May 14, 1970, local and
state police opened fire on a group of students at the predominantly
black Jackson State College in Mississippi. In a twenty-eight-second
barrage of gunfire, police fired hundreds of rounds into the crowd. Two
were killed and a dozen injured. We speak with Gene Young, a former
student at Jackson State who witnessed the shooting.
"Fire in the Heartland", excerpt from
the new documentary 'Fire
in the Heartland: Kent State, May 4th, and Student Protest'.
Gene Young, witness to the Jackson State
tragedy and longtime civil rights activist. He began his activism as a
pre-teen, getting arrested for civil disobedience at a bus station at
the age of twelve. Before his thirteenth birthday, Young took his first
plane ride to New York to speak to civil rights groups. He attended the
1963 March on Washington and testified at the House of Representatives,
alongside civil- and voting-rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. He has
continued his activism to this day and was a featured speaker last week
at an event commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the Kent State
shootings.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.