BATON ROUGE – More than 600 students are set to participate in the Spring 2023 commencement at Southern University. Many of them have worked hard and waited four years for the moment to celebrate, but one of them has waited decades to have their special moment walking across the stage.
Chester Stevens is a 74-year-old man who graduated from Southern University in 1973 but never participated in his commencement ceremony.
”I was mailed my diploma, but denied the opportunity to participate in the commencement,” Stevens said.
It was a punishment for his participation in a student organization called Students United. The group was dedicated to fighting civil injustices that took place on campus.
“I found to my surprise that Southern University wasn’t addressing my inner needs, and it felt like a plantation,” Stevens said of his time at SU. “When I found out that Southern was governed by overseers, 13 white overseers, only one had a college education. None had ever been on this campus and they determined our futures, essentially.”
Stevens recalled that two students—Denver Smith and Leonard Brown—were shot and killed when a group of law enforcement officers raided a peaceful demonstration during his time at the university.
“That was the greatest injustice that I had ever witnessed in my life. It was by the grace of God that the others of us had not been murdered at that time,” Stevens said.
This event had life-changing effects on the other students who survived the attack.
“They were enjoined from ever setting foot on this campus again. So their families were disrupted, their love lives were disrupted and they had to scurry throughout this nation to try and find a way to complete their education, and they did successfully,” said Stevens.
Stevens graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. For him, the moment he walks across the stage to celebrate that degree feels surreal.
“I’ve never been to a graduation commencement at Southern University in my life. I left this place in fear of my life, in fear of my safety and all of that. Now, I’m coming back and I’m looking all around and I’m wondering if this is real, if this is actually real.”.
While there is excitement, Stevens can’t help but think about a special person who will not get to see it.
“My mother waited for as long as she could. She died on Dec. 26 of last year. So she never got to see her firstborn son walk across the stage and receive his degree. I’m here to make that right today. Even though she’s not here the rest of my family will be here,” Stevens said.
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