KENT, Ohio – Kent State University announced Friday it plans to hold a series of online activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the May 4, 1970 shooting of students by the Ohio National Guard during a Vietnam War protest, in which four students were killed and nine injured.

The virtual programs, scheduled for May 1 to May 4, are in lieu of in-person events that the university canceled because of the coronavirus crisis. Plans call for videos, digital exhibits and other resources designed to teach people about the shootings and honor the victims.

“It is impossible to replace the very moving and solemn experience of the physical May 4 Commemoration with something that occurs online,” said Kent State President Todd Diacon. “However, we knew it was important to remember and honor the events of May 4, 1970, even in the midst of all that was happening in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We remain committed to the ongoing legacy of May 4, 1970, and look forward to future commemorations and educational initiatives surrounding this important moment in history.”

Kent State’s 50th commemoration website will begin posting content on May 1, with a special video tribute set to air at 12 p.m. on May 4. The video will include footage from past commemorations and newly recorded messages from some of the students wounded in the shootings.

The video will include messages from musicians whose careers and music were influenced by the events of May 4, including David Crosby and Graham Nash, Kent State alum Jerry Casale of Devo and Jesse Colin Young from the Youngbloods.

Actress Tina Fey and her husband, Kent State alum Jeff Richmond, are lending their voices to a recorded version of “May 4th Voices,” a play by David Hassler, Kent State’s director of the Wick Poetry Center. This version of the play is set to be broadcast on several public radio stations and will be available for streaming from the commemoration website.

The annual commemorations traditionally include a candlelight march and vigil that begins at 11 p.m. on the evening of May 3 and continue to 12 p.m. on May 4. Instead of an in-person gathering, the university expects to hold a virtual candlelight vigil on the website.

The online commemoration is the culmination of a yearlong observance of the 50th anniversary of the shootings that included programs and educational activities across the university, region and country. Kent State had previously planned a weekend of May 4 commemoration activities, including a benefit concert featuring David Crosby and Joe Walsh and a controversial speech by actress and activist Jane Fonda.