The Tinker Tour, led by Mary Beth Tinker, a plaintiff in the 1969 U.S. Supreme Court case that set the standard for students’ rights to free expression, stopped by the Quinnipiac University Grand Courtroom Tuesday afternoon.

In that Supreme Court case, a 13-year-old Tinker and some classmates wore black wristbands to their school to mourn the loss of Vietnam soldiers. The case helped give students more First Amendment rights in U.S. public schools. 

“We’ve met so many students. Thousands all over the country,” Tinker said. “Students are telling us how are they’re using their rights today, because so many are.”

The tour travels across the United States in a RV to promote to students their rights to speak up. It’s sponsored by the Student Press Law Center.

“Rights are like your muscles. If you don’t use your rights, you could lose them,” Tinker said.

Tinker is not only a public speaker, but also a pediatric nurse. She holds a masters degree in public nursing.

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