Tinker Tour stops at Ohio University
Mary Beth Tinker, First Amendment rights activist, visited Ohio University on March 27 as a part of the Tyler Weymouth First Amendment Speaker Series. Tinker is best known for her role as a plaintiff in the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, in which the court ruled that students do not shed their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate. The ruling confirmed that school officials do not possess absolute authority over their students.
The Supreme Court’s decision was monumental regarding freedom of speech and expression for students across the United States. Tinker has continued to dedicate her life to spreading First Amendment awareness and advocating for peace. At the event, Tinker voiced her thoughts on free speech with Ohio U students and faculty as well as Athens residents.
Held at Galbreath Chapel, Tinker participated in a Q&A-style interview moderated by Dr. Eddith Dashiell, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Tinker shared her experiences as a human rights advocate and how her upbringing influenced her to pursue a career in activism.
Tinker credits much of her success to her parents who were devout Methodists with a passion for speaking out against injustice. Her father, a minister in the church, often used his privilege to raise awareness and fight for social rights.
“They both believed that you should put your values into action,” Tinker said. “If you believe in a more loving world and more fair world, which is the heart of all religions…then you should put that into action.”
Having been raised around this influence, Tinker felt that she had to use her constitutional rights to protest the Vietnam War. During Christmas of 1965, Tinker and her fellow students decided to wear the infamous black armbands to school as a call to action for peace.
Photo by: Dave Penny
“There’s a disrespect for youth and young people and some adults think they get to decide what is important to young people and what they get to talk about, and that’s what happened,” Tinker said.
When Tinker and about 50 other classmates wore the armbands to school, they faced suspension and potential expulsion. Once again using her constitutional rights, Tinker decided to pursue litigation against Warren Harding Junior High School.
The litigation process was a long and hard one, that spanned from 1965 to 1969. Tinker shared that she was a very shy teen and probably the least adept to tackle Supreme Court litigation. Nevertheless, Tinker stepped up despite her fears and backlash from the public.
“These issues are so important in our world, and it’s important for everyone to speak up,” Tinker said. “Know your rights and use them; your rights are like muscles, if you don’t use them you are going to lose them.”
During the conference, Tinker also used her platform to show support for Gaza amidst the Israel-Palestine war. As a strong advocate for peace, she regularly encouraged the audience to never shy away from what they believe in and what is morally right. The conference closed with questions from the audience and a reception after the interview.
A full video of the event can be found on YouTube at the following link.