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Talk of Iowa, hosted by Charity Nebbe
Talk of Iowa

Tinker siblings draw parallels of student protests from the 1960s to present

By Charity Nebbe,
Samantha McIntosh, Dani Gehr
Published September 15, 2026 at 7:00 AM CDT
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Talk of Iowa, hosted by Charity Nebbe

On this episode, we listen back to interviews from our Iowa Famous series.

In 1965, John and Mary Beth Tinker went to school in Des Moines wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. They were suspended, and the incident led to a landmark Supreme Court decision that guaranteed free speech rights for public school students. Host Charity Nebbe revisits this history with John and Mary Beth and they discuss present day threats to the First Amendment.

Then, Donna Reed is beloved for roles like Mary Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show. She was born in Denison, Iowa, where the Donna Reed Foundation keeps her legacy alive. We speak with her daughter, Mary Owen, board member and treasurer for The Donna Reed Foundation.

(Portions of this episode were originally produced on Jan. 13, 2026 and Sept. 22, 2025)

Guests:

  • Mary Beth Tinker, free speech activist, retired nurse
  • John Tinker, free speech activist, general manager, KPIP-LP
  • Mary Owen, Donna Reed’s daughter, board member and treasurer, The Donna Reed Foundation
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Talk of Iowa Free speechVietnam WarU.S. Supreme CourtMovies & TV
Charity Nebbe
Charity Nebbe is the host of 'Talk of Iowa'. She also hosts IPR's podcasts 'Garden Variety' and 'Unsettled'. Since 2010, Nebbe has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Nebbe has a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University.
See stories by Charity Nebbe
Samantha McIntosh
Samantha McIntosh is an award-winning talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.
See stories by Samantha McIntosh
Dani Gehr
Dani Gehr is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University. Since 2022, Gehr has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.
See stories by Dani Gehr
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