Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
The new year and new semester provide each of us an opportunity for renewal. It is a time for us to rededicate ourselves to our mission as a global institution of research, learning and discovery. It is also a time for us to reaffirm our commitment to Kent State’s core values, especially freedom of expression, guided by kindness and respect in all we do.
Maintaining our values will be particularly important this year. It’s only January, but it already feels like we are deep into the presidential campaign season and all the heated discourse that it brings.
We are a community of friends, classmates, colleagues and co-workers. Let’s all remember that each of our voices is unique, and our goal is for each person to be treated the way they want to be treated – and with kindness and respect – whether we agree with each other’s perspectives.
A commitment to the freedom of expression, the very first constitutional right, is in our DNA here at Kent State. This semester, we will reflect on the tragic events that occurred on May 4, 1970. Let this serve as a reminder of the ultimate price paid when expression clashed with violence here on our own grounds. I urge you to do the same and remember what our university is here to do as we prepare learners at all stages to advance in our communities and the world. The four Golden Flashes killed that day had their own points of view and special goals as they looked toward their futures. They would be in their 70s today and most likely would have led remarkable lives in adulthood.
To support us all in our efforts this year and beyond, I am pleased to announce that Kent State will begin a yearlong series of educational programs to help foster a better understanding of our many diverse voices. “Dialogue and Difference: A New Understanding” will be introduced Feb. 1 to coincide with the university’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. This year’s celebration will be a conversation over lunch that centers on Dr. King’s guiding principles of living a life of love and peace during times of conflict. More information about our annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and how to download a free ticket for the Feb. 1 event can be found on the celebration’s website.
It seems only fitting that we begin this series as we honor the late civil rights leader, as his words from the 1963 March on Washington served as inspiration for this effort. Dr. King said:
“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”
The Council on Foreign Relations observes that there are 32 conflicts going on in the world right now. The highly visible warring in Ukraine and in Gaza gives us painful and constant reminders of the work we must do here at Kent State. The phrase “the fierce urgency of now” rings as clear and true today as it did more than 60 years ago. I encourage you all to take part in our upcoming Dr. King celebration and to engage in our upcoming dialogues.
In closing, I want to take a moment to remember Michael Schwartz, Ph.D., who served as Kent State’s ninth president from 1982 to 1991. On Feb. 8, Kent State and Cleveland State will come together for a celebration of Dr. Schwartz’s life. I encourage any of you who can to attend this memorial at Cleveland State or watch it livestreamed using the link that will be provided in the coming days to help honor Dr. Schwartz’s significant role in Kent State’s history.
Sincerely,
Todd Diacon
President
---------------
01.25.24 UPDATE: Watch the Feb. 8 celebration of life for Dr. Michael Schwartz via .