The “Brainerd High Crisis” (1969-70):
• The increasing number of black students led to tensions over Confederate symbols and the use of
“Dixie” at school events.
• The school’s principal, Ray Coleman, created a committee to address the concerns of black students.
• The situation escalated during a football game in October 1969, with black students expressing their displeasure through fist-clenched “Black Power” symbols.
• This incident sparked protests and demonstrations, leading to a period of racial turbulence at the school.
• The Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines, which ruled on the right to protest, was relevant to this case, according to Wikipedia.