In 1965, a simple black armband became a powerful symbol of student free speech. “We decided to wear them to school, to mourn for the dead in Vietnam and to say that there should be a truce,” said Mary Beth Tinker, one of a group of students who participated in the protest. But when the students were suspended by the Des Moines school board for their silent protest, their fight for expression went all the way to the Supreme Court.
The court’s 1969 landmark decision in Tinker v. Des Moines affirmed that “students do not leave their freedoms of speech and expression at the school door.” The ruling established a precedent for student rights that continues to shape legal battles today.
From controversies over social media messages to protests in schools, the boundaries of free expression are evolving. As law professor Emily Gold Waldman explained, “Tinker doesn’t have some of the complexities that you see in some cases today. It lays out broad principles, but it’s up to schools and courts to define them.”
Using archival footage and insights from First Amendment experts and protest participants, this documentary explores the impact of Tinker v. Des Moines and the ongoing challenges to student speech in a digital age.
“The lesson of the Tinker case is: Speak up. Stand up,” Mary Beth Tinker told us. “Whatever it is that you care about, learn your rights and practice them.”
View transcript here.
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