KENT, Ohio -- Activist and actress Jane Fonda will visit Kent State University in May to discuss the 50th commemoration of the May 4, 1970 shootings, in which the Ohio National Guard killed four students and injured nine others when they opened fire on a crowd gathered to protest the Vietnam War and the bombing of Cambodia.

Fonda is set to speak at 7 p.m. on May 3 at KSU’s Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center about her social activism and the history and legacy of the events of May 4, 1970. The event is free and open to the public, but reserved tickets are required.

The two-time Academy Award winner also came to Kent State on May 4, 1974, as part of the fourth commemoration of the shootings, to discuss political activism and the role of young people in bringing about the end to the Vietnam War. Fonda, 82, has been arrested five times over the past few months in Washington, D.C. for protesting in “Fire Drill Fridays,” a series of weekly climate change demonstrations that have garnered celebrity support.

“The May 4 Advisory Committee believes she is a fitting voice of activism that spans many generations young and old and aligns with the pillars and vision of the 50th commemoration,” the university said of Fonda in a news release.

Read more: Kent State paying $83,000 to bring Jane Fonda to campus for May 4, 1970 commemoration event

The university’s May 4 commemoration committee is made up of 18 people including faculty, university leaders, students, May 4 witnesses and survivors. They have organized dozens of events for the May 1-May 4 weekend.

“We were committed to finding meaningful ways to recognize the significance of student protest in 1970 and its direct relation to the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia,” said Chic Canfora, shooting survivor and member of the commemoration committee. “While our personal experiences and points of view varied, we shared a common belief in the vital role of dissent in a democracy and the university’s responsibility to promote and protect freedom of speech.”

During the current academic year, Kent State has held more than 80 educational programs, special events, speakers, conferences, exhibits and performances about May 4, 1970.

“It is our great responsibility and honor to welcome the nation and world to our campus,” said KSU President Todd Diacon. “Together we will remember Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder, and honor Kent State and community members who have kept their memories alive for 50 years. We will listen to, and learn from, noted speakers, experts and performers, all while we absorb the lessons of the importance of free speech, the need for civil dialogue and the dangers of polarization.”

Other events include:

Friday, May 1 – Vietnam anti-war movement, 1968-1970

Opening Event: Commemoration Weekend kicks off at noon on the Commons at Kent State with a program remembering two student rallies on May 1, 1970, that set into motion events that would change public opinion about the Vietnam War.

Panel: The Impact of the Anti-War Movement: As the Vietnam War continued to escalate with the invasion of Cambodia, resistance to the war grew across college campuses nationwide. In Kent, anti-war students focused their efforts on opposing the Cambodian invasion and Black United Students centered on the disparate treatment of African Americans on campus and in the wider society. This panel discussion explores how student activists as well as rank-and-file soldiers and military veterans influenced public opinion and helped force an end to the conflict and redress racial inequities.

Panel: WITNESS – The Pivotal Role of Students in Documenting the May 4 Shootings Through this panel discussion and a companion exhibit, “WITNESS” tells the story of the events of May 4, 1970, through the eyes of the Kent State students and student journalists who experienced them. Their words and photographs offer compelling and courageous eyewitness perspectives that served as an early and essential visual history of May 4.

Documentary Film Series “The War at Home” – Glenn Silber, Co-Director“Fire in the Heartland” – Danny Miller, DirectorScreenings of the documentaries will be hosted by the respective filmmaker and will be followed by an audience discussion. Both films also will be shown throughout the weekend.

Saturday, May 2 – Impact of student activism

Voices of Student Activism at Kent State After returning to their home countries, many international students translate their Kent State learning experiences into social engagement and activism. This panel discussion showcases extraordinary stories of students and alumni who have contributed to solving environmental issues and social conflicts at home.

Untold Personal Stories of May 4, 1970 Kent State alumni and former students share their previously untold personal stories of May 4, 1970, in a compelling panel discussion.

50th Commemoration Concert to Benefit the May 4 Legacy Scholarships Kent State will hold a special benefit concert with proceeds to support the newly created May 4 Legacy Scholarships honoring the four students killed on May 4, 1970. More details and artist lineup will be announced soon.

Sunday, May 3 – Remembering the 50-year legacy of May 4

Dedication Ceremony: Markers Honoring the Nine Students Wounded on May 4, 1970 Kent State dedicates the installation of nine individual bronze markers remembering the wounded students – Alan Canfora, John Cleary, Thomas Grace, Dean Kahler, Joseph Lewis, Donald MacKenzie, James Russell, Robert Stamps and Douglas Wrentmore – and marking the location where each was shot on May 4, 1970.

Keynote Luncheon Speaker: Eminent Historian Eric Foner Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, will be featured. He is one of the nation’s leading historians and a Bancroft, Lincoln and Pulitzer prize-winning scholar on divisive conflicts in American history.

Educational Forums and Panels Several panel discussions during the day will focus on topics including the evolution of the May 4 Task Force, the 1985-1990 May 4 Memorial process and the legal aftermath of the May 4 shootings.

Presidential Speaker Series: Activist and Actress Jane Fonda Activist and Academy Award-winning actress Jane Fonda is the featured Presidential Speaker for the May 4 Commemoration weekend. She will discuss her life in social activism and reflect on the history and legacy of the events of May 4, 1970. The event is free and open to the public, but advance reserved tickets are required.

Annual Candlelight March and Vigil The annual candlelight march and silent vigil have been meaningful traditions since 1971, honoring the students who were killed or wounded on May 4, 1970. The candlelight march begins at 11 p.m., and the silent vigil is held from midnight until the noon May 4 Commemoration ceremony.

Monday, May 4 – 50th Commemoration to honor and remember

Honoring the Faculty Marshals and Faculty of 1970 This special breakfast honors the faculty marshals and the faculty of 1970 who prevented further bloodshed on May 4 and assisted students in continuing their studies after the closure of the university. Their courage, sacrifice and support continue to inspire to this day.

Commemoration Ceremony The yearlong 50th Commemoration of May 4, 1970, culminates in this meaningful ceremony honoring and remembering lives lost and forever changed. This milestone program pays homage to the May 4 legacy and includes reflections; special recognitions; tributes to fallen students Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder; the reading of the chronology; music; and a symbolic moment of reflection at 12:24 p.m., the exact time when the shootings occurred.

Keynote speaker is Laurence H. Tribe, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard University, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on constitutional law.