Today we had the pleasure to have Mary Beth Tinker come speak to our seniors about first amendment cases and her own Tinker v. Des Moines case. She wanted teachers to know that this, now part time nurse, is willing to come to your school - anywhere in the US to spread her message of empowering students. She spoke and answered questions for 90 minutes. Among the interesting items we learned were that her three siblings also wore arm bands at the same time and two (the ones in elementary school) were not suspended, but that her brother and three others were not part of the sensation of the case. Tinker's school newspaper printed a story about the about to happen protest which was then picked up by the Des Moines Register and shortly after that the ACLU approached her and offered to help her sue the school district. Twenty-five years later the same school board invited her back as a V.I.P.!
If you want her to come to your school go to her website. If she comes she will also bring some interesting primary documents such as hate mail the then 13 year old received. If you live in the D.C. area you can see her armband at the Newseum. If she can't come to your school above is a recent interview she did at the Newseum.
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