In today's world, education is critical. However, many of our youth are unaware of the rights that others have struggled to secure through court battles, which we benefit from today. In the US, many Supreme Court cases have given us the rights that we should be educated about, regardless of the circumstances. Here are some cases to keep on hand for future reference!

1) Roe v. Wade

• Roe v. Wade is a landmark case that remains very relevant in today's society.
• This is one of those cases that is still being debated, and is used for laws against abortion.
• In this case, a woman named Roe fought for her rights to terminate her pregnancy with the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments.
• Although this case paved the way for the right to abortion in some states, in other states, like Texas, abortion is entirely illegal.
• The most important thing you should know about this case is that it is a woman's right to privacy under the 14th Amendment to choose if she wants to have an abortion in the first trimester.
• After that, the state can interfere in this decision if it poses a health issue to maternal health.
• This case is critical to know because if you are a woman, you should know that you have the right to make any decision you want with your body.

Image Credit: Marco Oriolesi from Unsplash

Take the Quiz: What Kind of Political Personality Are You?

Ever wondered what role you’d play in the political world? Take this fun quiz to find out!

2) Brown v. Board

This case revolves around the young girl who was denied education at a school because she was Black. Can you imagine that? A child just wanting to learn, but being turned away because of the color of her skin.

The ruling was based on the idea that segregation was illegal, as ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson. Now, this wasn’t just another court decision, but was one of the cases that signaled the end of the Jim Crow Laws.

This was one of the most crucial landmark cases because it presented an opportunity for change and a door to hope. Without cases like this, the path to equality would’ve looked very different. You should be aware of this case because, as a person of color myself, it paved the way for our path to equality. It’s part of the reason we even have the opportunities we do today.

3) Tinker v. Des Moines

Tinker v. Des Moines is a landmark case because it established the right of students to express themselves through peaceful protest on school grounds. Before this case, it was not very common for students to show what they freely wanted to, but when students were denied the right to protest the Vietnam War, it spurred controversy over their First Amendment right.

This case set that foundation for schools as a warning to let students showcase their political beliefs. It is essential that, as a teenager, you know about this case, as it was a case that had a significant impact on how your First Amendment rights.

4) Engel v. Vitale

This case centers on how a student felt uncomfortable with the idea of a Christian prayer being recited in school every morning.

This is illegal as it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. This laid the concept that having an issued prayer, even if it is voluntary, is unconstitutional and schools are not allowed to have any sort of religious prayer at any time of day.

As a teenager, it is important to know that you have the freedom of religion and that an educational environment should not encourage any sort of religion on you. This landmark case is often cited in similar instances where schools issue specific prayers or affirmations, and this case precedent is typically used to support such arguments.

Image Credit: Andy Feliciotti from Unsplash

These four cases are some of the most critical cases you should know as a teenager. Often, people are unaware of their constitutional rights and assume that authority is always correct. It is essential to consider these cases and stand up for yourself in situations where necessary.

Researching into these cases can help you understand this. If you want to learn more about landmark cases, a great way to get a good understanding is by taking the class AP US Government and Politics. It has helped me, personally, by learning a lot about our government and what rights we are subjected to. I think it's a relatively easy exam and definitely essential to understand your rights as a person!