1965 in the United States: the Vietnam War continued as the Supreme Court legalized contraceptives for married couples and Martin Luther King Jr. marched from Selma to Montgomery. At the same time, another fight occurred: a fight for the rights protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution.  

December 16th 1965: Mary Beth Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt proudly displayed armbands at school and were sent home by school administrators. With the assistance of the students’ parents, the school was sued for violating the students’ right of expression. The district court dismissed the case, and the case was taken to the U.S. Court of Appeals where the decision was affirmed.

December of 1969: the case arrived at the Supreme Court, with the question: “Does a prohibition against the wearing of armbands in public school, as a form of symbolic protest, violate the students’ freedom of speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment?” A 7-2 decision was ruled in favor of the students, agreeing the students’ rights should be protected when in a public school.

March 14th, 2018: students from across the United States walked out of their classrooms to support and raise awareness for the impact of gun violence on schools. The walk out lasted 17 minutes, in honor of the 17 victims from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. This was an opportunity for students to stand up for what they believe in, and utilize their freedom of speech, in a peaceful and powerful way.

February 17th, 2018: I debate my political beliefs with fellow high schoolers at a JSA in Washington D.C. I can have a civil conversation about an issue without being looked down upon or criticized for being educated.

November 13th, 2018: I think about how a Supreme Court case from 1969 gave students today the ability to portray their beliefs peacefully at school. And made it possible for me to debate my beliefs with fellow politically educated high schoolers. Freedom of speech. A right that has evolved for students since 1969, making it possible for us to be heard.