Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), was a "radical" student organization of the 1960s. As outlined in their 1962 Port Huron Statement, the group was committed to self-determination and participatory democracy, rather than representative democracy. In addressing the problems they found inherent in the American political system (and the world), SDS strove to correct these problems, becoming involved in both the Civil Rights movement and the protest movement against the Vietnam War. The organization died out in the early 1970s to be succeeded by a more radical faction known as the Weathermen, who advocated violent revolution.

The Kent chapter of SDS was very active until it was kicked off campus in 1969. In 1968 the Kent Chapter of SDS joined with the Black United Students to protest the Oakland Police recruiting on campus. Active protesters, they also went to Washington to protest Nixon's inauguration, as well as staging various other protests on campus. Congress, looking at the activities of SDS on college campuses in 1968 chose Kent State and Columbia (home of the national SDS president, Mark Rudd) to study. In 1969, Kent State revoked the Kent Chapter's charter after a "scuffle" with police barring entrance to the administration building where SDS planned to protest ROTC on campus and the Liquid Crystal Institute. The event led to arrests and suspensions of students. In the aftermath members of SDS broke into the Music and Speech building and disrupting a private hearing of SDS leaders, which led to further arrests.