Black and red text on a yellow background, Pepsi logo on bottom.

In 1975, PepsiCo ran a marketing campaign called "The Pepsi Challenge." It was a blind taste test where shoppers at malls and other public areas were asked to drink out of two different white cups - one cup contained Pepsi, while the other contained Coca-Cola. After drinking both, the shoppers were asked to select which drink they preferred. The results revealed that most Americans prefer Pepsi.  

Illustration of opposing blue and red hands with thumbs extended on a white background.  White text on the palms and wrists of each hand.

The "Rally for Sanity and/or Fear" was an event put on by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert of the Comedy Central Channel on October 30, 2010. The rally was held at the National Mall in Washington DC and over 200,000 people attended. Stewart and Colbert put on the rally in order to give average Americans a chance to have a voice in the American political conversation. Buttons for the event were designed and printed by the Busy Beaver Button co. of Chicago and only 100 were made to be given away.

Thin zig zag line going diagonally through center of button.  Pink text on a purple background. 

This button was most likely worn by protestors during the 1967 March on the Pentagon. On October 21 and 22, 1967, hundreds of thousands of protestors marched on Washington D.C. to oppose the Vietnam War. One event that weekend was the March on the Pentagon during which protestors aimed to famously "levitate" the Pentagon building. About 50,000 people marched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Pentagon. Around 650 people were arrested for civil disobedience.

Black text on a white background.

The struggle for desegregation in schools was a major component of the Civil Rights Movement, and the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education outlawed school segregation in 1954.  Despite this ruling, actual change was slow to occur, and it took years for many schools to be integrated. 

Despite the fact that desegregation efforts in northern cities received much less attention than those in their southern counterparts, the integration process in Philadelphia was not an easy one. The city had a long history of keeping Black and white students and teachers separated. District policies kept Black teachers from teaching white children and Black administrators from supervising white teachers.  In 1961, the NAACP in Philadelphia started a school desegregation lawsuit in federal court, and in 1963 the court ordered the school board to develop a desegregation plan and file regular progress reports. Although the school board organized committees and ordered studies and reports, led largely by school employees,  change was limited to symbolic victories.

Illustration of small white animals in a ring around white text on a blue background.

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White text on a black background.

In 1960, students began rebelling against the social injustices and authoritarianism of the 1950s. The student movement was labeled as the New Left, referring to the new left-leaning political activists. Student activists participated in the Civil Rights Movement, anti-war protests, women's rights movements, and gay liberation movements.

Black text on a white background

In 1969, President Nixon's Vice President, Spiro Agnew, made the comment that anti-Vietnam War protestors were "an effete corps of impudent snobs." Following his statement, protestors took his phrase and turned it into their slogan. This button was most likely worn by anti-war activists.

Red text on a white background.

"I am proud to be a muslim," is a proclamation of those who identify themselves as Muslim and practice the Islam faith. The “I am proud to be Muslim” phrase also appears in t-shirts, mugs, stickers and similar items. In the Islamic faith, Muslims are encouraged to share their faith with others. However, Muslims are told not to attack others' beliefs or engage in conflicts or debates about matters of religion.

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White text on a red background.

In the 1960s, Underground Uplift Unlimited, based in Manhattan, produced buttons with countercultural slogans.

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