A simple black armband became a turning point for student rights. We sit down with Mary Beth Tinker to revisit the 1965 protest that led to Tinker v. Des Moines and the Supreme Court’s declaration that students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate. Alongside Mary Beth, Pennsylvania civic educator Shannon Salter brings the story into today’s classrooms, where free speech collides with dress codes, book bans, social media, and the daily realities of learning in community.
Across this conversation, we unpack what the First Amendment means for young people right now: the boundary between speech and disruption, the often overlooked right to hear, and the difference between adult comfort and student liberty. Shannon shares field-tested strategies for elevating student voice—protocols that reward listening over winning, projects that connect learning to local impact, and governance roles that let students help shape their schools. Mary Beth ties civic courage to well-being, showing how advocacy builds confidence, connection, and care. Together, we trace how youth voice has moved city services, reoriented policy conversations, and kept democratic values visible in the places where they matter most.
If you’re an educator, student, or parent wondering how to hold space for hard conversations without losing the thread of learning, you’ll find practical tools and real stories here. If you’re curious why Tinker still matters more than five decades later, you’ll hear how every generation keeps rights alive by using them. Listen, share with someone who cares about student voice, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your feedback helps us keep building a community that protects speech, nurtures curiosity, and invites young people to lead.

Illinois Democracy Hub: Current and Societal Issue Discussion Toolkit<https://www.illinoiscivics.org/curriculum-toolkit/current-and-societal-issue-discussions/>

Sphere Education: Principles of Civil Discourse Primer<https://www.sphere-ed.org/publication/principles-civil-discourse-primer>

Civil Discourse<https://www.corwin.com/books/civil-discourse-279127?srsltid=AfmBOor9pzuJmefZ940fUOTWSkgWSuaFEOXhYWcA6G4qEHOVv831C9gO>, by Joe Schmidt and Nichelle Pinkney<https://www.sphere-ed.org/publication/principles-civil-discourse-primer>>

Mercatus Center Pluralist Lab Resources<https://www.mercatus.org/tags/pluralism-and-civil-exchange>, including documentary "Undivided"

Generation Citizen<https://www.generationcitizen.org/>

Bill of Rights Institute: My Impact Challenge?<https://billofrightsinstitute.org/my-impact-challenge?gad_source=1&gad_camp

Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum!

School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Center for American Civics