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Lotte Scharfman is cited for coining the phrase “democracy is not a spectator sport.” Scharfman was a refugee from Nazi Germany who escaped to Austria with her family. Scharfman moved to the United States and, in 1955, became active in the Massachusetts League of Women Voters (LWV). Scharfman worked to increase citizen involvement in government and politics and taught communities to “embrace the concept that ours is a government of, by, and for the people.” She was also passionate about affordable housing and juvenile justice. Scharfman was president of the Massachusetts LWV until passing away in 1970 on her 42nd birthday. The LWV established the Lotte Scharfman Memorial Fund in her honor to support “a variety of voter engagement and civic education programs.”

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This circa 1910 button was given away as a free premium gift with the purchase of a pack of Hassan Cigarettes. The Turkish-blend brand was absorbed by the American Tobacco Company and no longer exists today. The artwork was designed by cartoonist Harry C. "Bud" Fisher who created one of the first successful daily comic strips in the U.S. “Mutt and Jeff”. This button was part of the "Mutt & Jeff Series" of over 250 designs. The back of the button features a paper insert advertising Hassan Cigarettes.

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The first automotive seat belts were patented in the late 19th century for use in New York City taxi cabs. Originally meant to keep the driver and passengers from sliding around in their seats, seat belts for safety from accidents weren't a concern until the 1930s. Physicians across the country began to urge auto manufacturers to provide lap seat belts in all cars. The three-point seat belt was invented in 1958; Swedish carmaker Volvo was the first to implement a simple and effective design. By the late 1960s, all American vehicles were required to provide seat belts; however, getting people to wear them was difficult. 

Despite scientific research in the 1940s and 1950s, the use of seat belts aroused heated debate. Many felt it should be up to the individual to decide to use a seat belt. The National Ad Council ran advertisements for decades encouraging divers to "Buckle Up." It took over thirty years for seat belt laws to be enacted across all fifty states. Slogans like "I wear my seat belt," showed support for safety and promoted the use of seat belts.

Click here to see another version of this button held by the museum

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In January of 1973, one of the most controversial decisions in U.S. history was made when the supreme court voted for a woman’s right to an abortion. American women could legally obtain an abortion when the United States was established as a country. By 1900 every state had made the procedure illegal. Because of the lack of abortion access, many woman in the 1950s and 60s were forced to give birth to babies with severe birth defects in part due to the use of a prescribed drug called thalidomide. The rubella and measles epidemics of the time also caused the babies in utero to suffer severe defects. Lack of access to abortion had negative effects on the lives of the pregnant women, as well. Women who did not have the means to fly to other countries to access safe abortions suffered complications from illegal procedures performed in the U.S. These complications affected women of color the most. Arguments such as those mentioned here helped pave the way for women to fight and win the right to abortion access in 1973.

However, the road to the legalization of abortion was a complicated journey which included those fighting for medical and civil rights. In the 1960s, physicians began arguing that the criminalization of the procedure created a public health crisis. Pro-choice republicans disagreed with the pro-life republicans, and pro-life democrats did not see eye to eye with the pro-choice democrats. Feminists of all cultures and races wanted control of their bodies and access to safe healthcare. However, Black Power activists perceived abortions as another method for the government to commit genocide. Others felt that abortion access would be a step towards racial justice. This button represents the pro-choice individuals who fought for choice. There may only be three words printed on this button, but it tells us much about our country’s complicated history. 

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“Straight But Not Narrow” is a play on words that indicates a person identifying as heterosexual is an ally of the LGBT community. In other words, the person is “straight,” but not narrow-minded. There is a grassroots group entitled “Straight But Not Narrow” who encourage straight allies to be vocal about their support for the LGBT community in order to combat hate and prejudice. The pink triangle, often inverted, is a symbol of LGBT pride. It is a symbol that homosexuals were forced to wear by Nazis during World War 2, similarly to the Star of David. Many buttons denoting LGBT allyship and support also have a pink star. This became popular in America during the 1980s, as gay rights activists sought to make sure that this history of prejudice did not repeat itself. 

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Tau Kappa Epsilon, also known as TKE or Teke, is a college fraternity with chapters across the United States and Canada. The fraternity was founded in 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University. Notable Teke alumni include former United States president Ronald Reagan, country singer Willie Nelson, and “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis Presley. The motto “Teke is Unique” has appeared on some of the fraternity’s recruitment flyers and memorabilia. 

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The Fluker Farms “I Ate a Bug Club” pinback button came as a prize with the Fluker Farms product “Chocolate Covered Crickets” from 2005-2009. 

In 1953 Richard Fluker started Fluker's Cricket Farm in Southern Louisiana which provided live bait to local fishermen. Today Fluker Farms breeds a wide variety of feeder insects for fishing bait and reptile food throughout the United States. They also provide supplies for reptiles kept domestically. 

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In 1958, Pierre Culliford (or Peyo) created a series of comics featuring little blue individuals who lived in mushroom houses, where no humans could find them. These “three-apple tall” beings who could live hundreds of years were originally called “Les Schtroumpfs” by Culliford, who was Belgian. The name came to be when Culliford forgot the French word for “salt” while dining with his French friend and fellow cartoonist, Andre Franquin. Culliford made up a French word for salt, Schtroumpfs, and later named his blue characters the same name. Eventually, the Schtroumpfs became known as “The Smurfs”.

In the 1960s and 70s, two animated films and ten animated shorts were released in Belgium, then in several other European countries. In 1981, Hanna-Barbera adapted the comic into an animated series, which became an instant hit in the United States. Due to its popularity, a variety of merchandising was created, including this 1980s button featuring Lazy Smurf napping against a tree. Smurfs enthusiasts enjoyed another revival in 2011, when another animated film was released in theaters. Since then, two more films were released in 2013 and 2017.

Fun fact: While Americans refer to these blue creatures as “The Smurfs”,  they are known as “Pitufos” in Spanish and “Dardasim” in Hebrew!

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The 1998 Chicago Pride Parade commemorated the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York. It was the 28th Annual Chicago Pride celebration and the largest Pride Parade in its history. 

The parade’s aims were community engagement, empowerment, and acceptance rather than petitioning for specific LGBTQ2+ rights and issues. The parade focused on showing the diverse Chicago queer community with lawyers, doctors, and 50+ politicians in participation, floats from Chicago Leather groups and Drag Queens, and many LGBTQ2+ allies with floats, signs, and literature. 

1998 Pride celebrations in San Diego and Atlanta also sported merchandise with the slogan “Unity in Diversity”.