Students Take Action
Members of the Tinker and Eckhardt families attended the November 1965 Vietnam War peace rally in Washington, D.C. On the drive home, the idea of wearing black armbands to support the anti-war movement was discussed. A meeting was held at the Eckhardt home to put this plan into action. Students who attended Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa, decided to wear black armbands and begin fasting on December 16th. Student Ross Peterson wrote an article in the school newspaper detailing the call to action, catching the attention of school officials. Story continued below.
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Despite the students’ call for peace, many disagreed with their stand against the Vietnam War. Some students were harassed and called names at school, while others received veiled threats. Story continued below.
Click to see the contents of the mailbox display; a collection of hate mail received by the Tinker family.
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Reacting to Ross Peterson’s article, school officials decided that students would not be allowed to wear black armbands in school. Any student who violated this new policy would be asked to remove the armband, with refusal to do so resulting in suspension. Students Mary Beth Tinker, John Tinker, Christopher Eckhardt, Bruce Clark, and Christine Singer would be suspended for wearing black armbands in school. Story continued on the next page.
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