Illustration of a brown bear with black text above and below on a white background

Founded in New York in 1913, the American Society for the Control of Cancer focused on simply raising awareness about cancer and help decrease the negative stigma that surrounded a cancer diagnosis. After WWII, the organization reorganized to form the American Cancer Society and now strives to provide educational resources, support, and access to medical care to those suffering from any form of cancer. Their work in cancer research, including lung cancer associated with smoking, has helped reduce the rate of death from cancer in the United States.

Green background, white text with a red asterisk.

An updated version of the iconic button that was worn in the late 1970s and early 1980s by supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment, this button reflects the fact that the proposed amendment fell only three states short of being ratified. While the official deadline for passage ended in 1982, efforts remain consistent to ratify the amendment in at least three of the 15 remaining states that did not originally ratify it. 

Hot pink button with white and black text.

Equal Pay Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness of the gender wage gap and is celebrated on the day that symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. For this reason, the exact date of Equal Pay Day is different each year. Equal Pay Day was first observed in 1996 in an effort to eliminate wage discrimination. 

Colorful illustration of a rooster's head, facing left.

This button was created as part of the Busy Beaver Button Co.'s Button-O-Matic 2015 series "Bestiary". The series was curated by Tony Fitzpatrick, and was in collaboration with Yollocalli Arts Reach students. This button was one of two created by artist Victor Martinez. 

Yollocalli Arts Reach was founded in 1997 to address the educational and artistic needs of children and teens. Since its founding, the organization became the Arts Partner in Resident of Chicago Park District and has worked with several other organizations in Chicago to showcase its students' art. 

Colorful illustration of a man wearing horns, and grinning.

This button was created as part of the Busy Beaver Button Co.'s Button-O-Matic 2015 series "Bestiary". The series was curated by Tony Fitzpatrick, and was in collaboration with Yollocalli Arts Reach students. This button was one of two created by artist Victor Martinez. 

Yollocalli Arts Reach was founded in 1997 to address the educational and artistic needs of children and teens. Since its founding, the organization became the Arts Partner in Resident of Chicago Park District and has worked with several other organizations in Chicago to showcase its students' art. 

Illustration of yellow sky with blue text and an orange music note on blue water over a white bottom edge with red text

Chicagofest was an annual music festival in Chicago that ran for two weeks every year from 1978-1983. It was the vision of Mayor Michael Bilandic and was held on the Navy Pier that had been reopened. The festival featured 16 different stages that were separated into different music genres. Over 600 performances were conducted during every festival. Some of the musicians who performed at the festival include: Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, The Blues Brothers, the Charlie Daniel’s Band, Alice Cooper and Aretha Franklin. The logo of a red music note swimming in blue water against a yellow background is from the very first Chicagofest that was held from August 4-21, 1978.

Illustration of a black barrel on a tan background with wood planks and yellow flames rising out of the top. Text on barrel is white and text below barrel is black and yellow.

The term "Brotherhood of the Barrel" was coined during the Chicago Firefighters Strike from February 14 - March 7, 1980. The "Brotherhood" was formed by the striking firefighters that huddled around barrel fires to warm up while picketing outside. This pin was created towards the end of the strike as a rallying point for firefighters to wear in solidarity.

An image of two people shaking hands is in the center of a white and red button surrounded by two rings of encircling text.

The Kentucky State AFL-CIO is one of hundreds of state and local labor councils. Since its creation in 1905 it has fought for economic justice, living wages, and union freedoms. The image on the button is the same one that Kentucky State AFL-CIO currently uses.