Disclaimer: The views expressed below are the sole opinion of the student writer and do not reflect the views of the Southern DIGEST, Student Media or the Staff/Administration of Southern University & &M College.
In moments of crisis, the first version of events often becomes the one people remember. That is why the tragedy at Southern University in 1972 still deserves attention.
In November of that year, two 20‑year‑old students, Denver Smith and Leonard Brown, were shot and killed during a confrontation between students and law enforcement on campus. Right after the incident, most public attention focused on the protests and “riots”. The main story became the tension on campus, not the fact that two unarmed students had been killed.
How a story is told at the beginning matters. When the focus is on disorder instead of the loss of life, it can hide the human cost. Smith and Brown were not symbols of chaos. They were young men with families, dreams, and futures. Any honest account of that day should have started with that.
No one was ever criminally charged for their deaths. The student union was eventually renamed in their honor, which helped keep their memory alive. That recognition matters, but it came slowly. In 2017, the university awarded posthumous degrees to Smith and Brown. It was not until 2022, that Governor John Bel Edwards issued a formal apology on behalf of the state.
Fifty years is a long time to wait for acknowledgment, if you ask me.
Honoring people’s legacy is not just about naming buildings or holding ceremonies. It is about telling the truth clearly and without delay, even when the truth is painful. Institutions show real strength when they face difficult history instead of avoiding it. Smith and Brown deserved to be recognized immediately as victims of an unjust tragedy. Their families deserved answers. Their classmates deserved honesty. And future generations deserve an accurate record.
We cannot change what happened in 1972. But we can make sure that when their story is told, it begins and ends with their humanity.
