Tinkerversary

Mary Beth and John Tinker speak to students at the State Historical Society of Iowa

Fifty years after the landmark decision of the Supreme Court in the Tinker v. Des Moines case, establishing student free speech rights at school, Mary Beth Tinker and her brother, John Tinker, traveled to nine Iowan schools and several different events from Feb. 18-Feb. 28, 2019 to speak to students and teachers about the importance of First Amendment rights for youth.

The anniversary was called the “Tinker Tour,” and organizers used the hashtag “Tinkerversary” to promote the events on social media.

The largest event took place at the State Historical Society of Iowa on Feb. 22. Over 200 students from Iowa, Texas and Florida attended and hundreds of students watched the broadcast on Iowa Public Television, PBS and online through a live stream.

“Our role in democracy is not just to follow what has been decided, but it is to think about things and to criticize the decisions of politicians when we feel as though they have gone astray,” Mary Beth said to the auditorium of attendees.

The historical society event began with an introduction by host Kay Henderson from Radio Iowa, who outlined the significance of the Tinker v. Des Moines ruling, the purpose of the event and how the afternoon would progress.

“Their four-year court battle culminated in the landmark decision... frequently cited by justices in cases regarding free speech. Since then, John and Mary Beth have been activists for First Amendment rights, and they are here today not just to answer questions about their case, but to share about their journey as advocates,” Henderson said.

The Tinker siblings introduced students Lauren Johnson and Grace Gerlemen from Decorah High School, who presented their award-winning project for National History Day on civil rights activist Edna Griffin. Edna is nicknamed the “Rosa Parks of Iowa” for her activism that helped spark the civil rights movement in Iowa. The two students then brought out Edna’s son, Stanley Griffin, who spoke of his mom, the impact she made on the civil rights movement and how impressed she would be with students using their First Amendment rights today.

“My mother was very bold; she was a true force of action,” Stanley said. “She dedicated herself to human and civil right and she wants to transfer that power to all you kids... Everybody can make a difference. Always stand up for what’s right and remember my mother.”

Soon thereafter, the Tinkers invited current Iowa Supreme Court Justice Brent Appel to the stage. Justice Appel took the students on a “bus tour” through Iowa’s most impactful freedom of speech court cases. He explained the state’s “checkered” history, full of “both correct rulings and missteps of the court.” All of them, though, culminated in the extensive student free speech allowed today, both in Iowa schools and outside of them.

Using Her Voice. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Rebecca Schneid speaks to students about the importance of free speech rights to her on Feb. 22 as part of the Tinkerversary event at the State Historical Society of Iowa. Photo by Dara Rosen

The Tinkers continued with a detailed recap of the events leading up to their court case, from what led them to wear their black armbands, to their suspension, to the lengthy court battle from the District Courts of Des Moines to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Afterward, there was a Q&A session where students had time to ask the Tinkers questions about how to speak up about censorship and how to make a change in their own communities. Those watching through the live stream could also ask questions on Twitter, using the hashtag “Tinkerversary.”

One question came from Ruby Gonzalez from Brownsville, Texas who asked for advice on how students should speak up about what they believe in.

“We were scared to speak up, but we had examples in our life, like the Birmingham children who stood up for their rights, as well as our parents who pushed us. I would say find a few people that care about the things that you care about and it makes it much easier, even fun, to stand out,” Mary Beth said.

I Promise. Mary Beth and John Tinker invite students up to the stage to collect shirts if they can name their First Amendment rights and promise to use them. Photo by Nicolle Martin

Through this event, I learned more about speaking out... I hope to use my voice and actions to inspire other minorities to speak up and understand that they can do anything they want that they want to do.

To close the event, two students took the stage to describe their own fight to speak up for what is right, utilizing free speech to do so, as given to them by the Tinker v. Des Moines case. The first was Iowa student Jenny Wang, and the second was Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Rebecca Schneid.

“Through this event, I learned more about speaking out,” Omar Vasquez, a student from Storm Lake, Iowa said. “As a minority who wants to go into the medical field, I hope to use my voice and actions to inspire other minorities to speak up and understand that they can do anything that they want to do.”

The “Tinker Tour” not only celebrated the 50th anniversary of Tinker v. Des Moines, but the tour was also used to empower students to fight for what they believe in. Mary Beth, as well as the other speakers, spoke of the important steps that have been taken in the past, as well as the steps that need to be taken in the future. Story by Anna Crean