Mary Beth Tinker was suspended at age 13 for wearing a homemade, black armband to school to protest the Vietnam War. Her case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in the landmark ruling Tinker v. Des Moines Des Moines Independent Community School District.
Tinker will be visiting Michigan on Monday, Oct. 21, to speak at the MIPA Fall Conference and we want attendees to exercise their First Amendment rights.
Coordinate with your student media staff to create armbands of your own to wear to the MIPA Fall Conference. Your armband should say something about an important issue.
Lesson plans for teachers
The national Tinker Tour recommends various lesson plans to help students learn about the Constitution, the First Amendment and their own rights. See the tour’s list of lesson plan resources