“You know why it’s called the Smith-Brown Memorial Union, right?”
Wrong. Most students know the overall scheme of things, that the Union was named after two guys who were shot and killed protesting. However, the story is a little more complicated than the result of civil unrest.
The story begins when Psychology Club students were denied office space, under the impression that they were being penalized for their ambitious social activism.
As a result, Students United, an organized mass of students in opposition to administration for a lack of care for the student body, emerged.
They compiled a list of grievances and demands for change, as well as called for the resignation of then university President, G. Leon Netterville.
When their demands were not met, protests heightened, and a boycott of classes began.
Fast-forward to November 16, 1972. After about 150 unarmed students marched to the administration building during protesting to speak with the President, he was escorted out by security. The Baton Rouge Police along with the National Guard were summoned.
In an alleged attempt to shoot tear gas, white sheriff’s deputies shot and killed two students, Denver Smith and Leonard Douglas Brown.
Following the shooting, Students United accused Governor Edwin Edwards and President Netterville for conspiracy of the murders of Smith and Brown.
After investigating the shooting, two separate panels concluded that Smith and Brown were killed by gun blasts fired from a law official. The shooter was never identified. The panels also related the incident to similar ones at Jackson State and Kent State Universities.
Sound familiar? In 2017, young black students still face the same harsh reality of being killed by a police officer as did those in 1972. Our hashtags are their memorials.
In both eras, people standing up for what they believe, resulted in unnecessary deaths. Oppression is timeless, and death is forever. After police killings today, we protest. In 1972, student demonstrations appeared for up to three weeks after Smith and Brown were murdered.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
History repeats itself, and similar to how police are rarely indicted for brutalizing and killing black people today, the officer that killed Smith and Brown faced no legal action.
Oddly enough, Governor Edwards defended the law officials then with the excuse that they were “scared to death.” Ironic how they were scared to death but still breathed life, and police today defend their murders with the same line.
Times have changed, but only in number.
Rest in Peace to Leonard Douglas Brown and Denver Smith; for them we continue … the struggle.
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1972 And Now: What’s Really Changed Since Then?
October 3, 2017

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