John Tinker Recalls Wearing a Black Armband to School Protesting the Vietnam War

Contributed By

Resource Type

Keywords

Iowa PBS Iowa Public Television IPTV John Tinker Mary Beth Tinker Freedom of Speech First Amendment Tinker Standard Des Moines Public Schools Vietnam War Des Moines Independent Community School District ACLU activism Civil Rights Movement Christopher Eckhardt US Supreme Court United States Supreme Court Protest student court lawsuit judicial system Des Moines Iowa Tinker Case Supreme Court landmark cases free speech symbolic speech public schools student rights student activism social activism

Subjects

History-Social Science

Grade Levels

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

Audience

Classroom Teacher / Educator

Related Resources

John Tinker Recalls Wearing a Black Armband to School Protesting the Vietnam War

John Tinker experienced a range of emotions while wearing a black armband to school to protest the Vietnam War in 1965. He describes what he was thinking and feeling, as well as the reaction from other students, teachers and the principal.

Additional resources, including the an audio recording of the U.S. Supreme Court opening arguments for the Tinker Case and the text of the Court’s case decision, are available on the Iowa PBS 50th Anniversary of the Tinker v. Des Moines Schools Decision and Students’ Right to Freedom of Speech: The Tinker Case websites.

Publisher

PBS Learning Media