Student Mobilization Committee to End the War In S.E. Asia, Sponsor/Advertiser. Rally, Boston Commons: commemorate Kent, Augusta, Jackson: strike and march May 5. Augusta, Georgia Massachusetts Boston United States, 1970. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2015650087/.
This photo of the poster is an entry into discussing visual communication, design choices, historical significance, and themes of civic engagement and social change. As a primary source, it directly reflects the historical events and sentiments from the era, offering students a glimpse into how people communicated and mobilized during the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights era.
On May 4, 1970, a week for final exams at Kent State University, the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four unarmed college students and wounded nine others during an anti-Vietnam War protest. Considered a seminal moment in modern US history, May 4th came to symbolize the political and social divisions of the Vietnam War era. For two days starting on May 11, 1970, Black residents of Augusta, Georgia, rebelled against the city’s systemic oppression after a Black teenager suspiciously died in the county jail. Police killed six Black men over the course of the riot. On May 15, 1970, the police killed two students and wounded twelve others at a student protest at Jackson State College in Mississippi against the US invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Although it took place only ten days after the Kent State killings, this shooting does not get the same attention in the press and textbooks. This poster is for a rally taking place on May 5, 1971 in Boston, Massachusetts, to protest the Vietnam War and to commemorate the three shootings, in order to show support for immediate and unconditional withdrawal from the US invasion of Cambodia.
While the creation/publication date is listed as 1970, the rally mentioned on the poster took place on May 5, 1971, in Boston. Organized by the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Southeast Asia, tens of thousands of people gathered at Boston Common for a peaceful rally to protest the Vietnam War.
- What do you notice about the imagery and text on this poster?
- What is the significance of the names “Kent,” “Augusta,” and “Jackson”?
- How does this poster reflect the political and social climate of the United States during the Vietnam War era?
- How does the design of this poster (e.g., bold text and simple color scheme) make it an effective tool for communication?
- What lessons can we learn from the events referenced in this poster about how societies respond to conflict and dissent?
Common Core Literacy Standards, Ohio Learning Standards for Literacy in History
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RI.9-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
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RH.9-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of key terms.
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RI.9-12.6: Determine an author's or creator's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed.
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RH.9-12.9: Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
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W.6-12.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources.
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WHST.9-12.7: Conduct short or sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem.
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- This poster offers a rich opportunity for analyzing purpose, design, and historical context, fostering essential skills in interpreting primary sources. It enables students to examine the perspective of anti-war activists, compare it with other viewpoints from the same era, and draw meaningful connections between historical events and contemporary social change movements.
- Using this poster in the classroom can highlight lesser-known events. Involve students in a discussion about why the Augusta and Jackson State shootings are lesser-known, but equally significant events, and to determine why contemporary education doesn't always have an inclusive understanding of history.
- Graphic or Violent Imagery: The silhouette of armed individuals might evoke concerns about exposing children to imagery perceived to be violent or militaristic.
- Political Bias: The poster references events and actions associated with political movements (e.g., protests about Kent State, Augusta, and Jackson State shootings, and calls for withdrawal from conflicts). Parents might worry about the teaching of politically sensitive content being one-sided or lacking context.
- Parental Beliefs: If parents have strong personal beliefs about the Vietnam War, protest movements, or the historical events referenced (like the Kent State shootings), they might worry about content contradicting their viewpoints.
- Emotional Impact: Discussing events like shootings and protests might be emotionally challenging for some children, leading parents to question the appropriateness of teaching it without proper support.
- Contextual Understanding: Parents might be concerned that the historical context of the events (e.g., the Vietnam War, the anti-war movement, and state violence against students) might not be sufficiently explained, leading to misunderstandings.
- Student Mobilization Committee To End The War In S.E. Asia, Sponsor/Advertiser. Remember Kent & Jackson: on to May 5: moratorium on business as usual., 1970. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2015649385/.
- This photo serves as an alternative primary source, still focused on the same rally. This poster, however, does not include the imagery of armed individuals.
- 1970 Augusta Riot. “1970 Augusta Riot,” n.d. https://1970augustariot.com/
- “Antiwar Groups to Stage Protests Here | News | The Harvard Crimson,” n.d. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1971/5/5/antiwar-groups-to-stage-protests-here/.
- Kent State University. “The May 4 Shootings at Kent State University: The Search for Historical Accuracy,” n.d. https://www.kent.edu/may-4-historical-accuracy.
- Mapping May 4. “Mapping May 4 | Kent State University,” n.d. https://mappingmay4.kent.edu/about.
- Zinn Education Project. “May 15, 1970: Jackson State Killings,” n.d. https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/jackson-state-killings/.