Kent State

Dr. Gregory James Payne

Dr. Payne is the current Chair of Emerson College's Department of Communication Studies, the first communication department in the United States. He is also the Co-Director of the Emerson Blanquerna Center for Global Communication and received an “Honoris Causa” from the Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, University of Ramon Llull in Barcelona in the fall of 2019 for his lifelong distinguished academic and professional career.

Come share my peripatetic 53 year journey and counting search for justice for the victims of the Kent State, May 4, 1970 tragedy. This site includes materials gathered from my dissertation from the University of Illinois, the first of the Kent State tragedy. Materials from the victim’s parents, those wounded, fellow researcher, citizens of Kent, and interested parties of the world, as well as videos and other media that help archive this iconic event. Also included is the award winning docudrama NBC Kent State and related video, fully annotated script, reviews, and other feedback. For those interested in the mediated reality of how this event was covered, you will find sections on the news broadcast on this topic. In studying this archive, please contact me for any further questions.

“The more you read as well as absorb the riveting photos and videos of the Kent State tragedy, the more I am sure you will join me in the quest for justice.”