In 1965, 13-year-old Mary Beth Tinker was suspended from school for wearing a black armband to mourn the deaths of those in the Vietnam War. Along with her fellow classmates, she decided to defend her First Amendment rights, a decision that led all the way to the Supreme Court. That landmark 1969 Tinker v Des Moines case ruled that neither teachers nor students “shed their constitutional rights … at the schoolhouse gate,” clarifying the impact of the First Amendment in schools. Now, Mary Beth promotes civics education and the rights of young people through her national “Tinker Tour.” This Spring, on the 50th anniversary of her landmark case, she’ll be visiting Ball State to share her experiences and advocate for student journalism and the free press.