Emerald green button with lime green text.

In the 1972 Illinois Democratic Primary, voters were required to vote for Illinois delegates, rather than for candidates. The delegates would then vote based on their constituents' preferences. However, many argued that this system (as well as influence on the part of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley who ran the Chicago political machine) did create a diverse selection of delegates. The 1972 Democratic Convention ended in controversy when delegates who had elected to support Senator George McGovern for the presidency were denied a vote. This was due to more traditional members of the party feeling that McGovern, who ran his grassroots campaign on a platform of ending the Vietnam War, did not represent the spirit of the Democratic Party. This eventually ended in the Supreme Court case of Cousins v. Wigoda, in which the Court ruled that the party had the right to refuse delegates on the grounds of the Right to Political Association.

Green text under a green pine tree on a yellow button

The Citizens' Party was formed in 1980 as a more liberal alternative to the Democratic Party, led by President Jimmy Carter. Environmental science professor Barry Commoner ran for President that year and his running mate was La Donna Harris, a feminist and Comanche Indian woman married to Democratic Senator Fred Harris. The Citizens Party was remarkably successful for a third party, but won less than 1% of the vote in any state where they were on the ballot. 

Their platform covered a diverse group of left-wing issues including environmentalism and social justice. They wanted to end the use of nuclear power and encourage the use of renewable energy sources over coal and oil. The party also argued that the minimum wage should be raised and workers should be protected in the work place. They also campaigned for more government regulation of corporations, including price controls on necessities, such as food and healthcare. The party argued that government should ensure access to birth control, abortion, and mental health services for all Americans. They wanted to punish criminals with fines based on their wealth rather than imprisonment, to end the death penalty, and address and change the social causes of crime. Their foreign policy called for world peace, disarmament, and human rights all over the world.

In 1984 Sonia Johnson, a radical feminist, ran for President for the Citizens' Party, but did not do as well as Commoner had four years earlier. The party disintegrated over the next four years.

White text on a blue button with two white horizontal lines.

Yellow gold button with a black logo and black text. 

The African National Congress (ANC) is a South African political party which opposed Apartheid. Since Nelson Mandela won the 1994 Presidential election, they have dominated South African politics. "Power to the people" is the slogan of the ANC because they believe that the people should control the government through free elections. The image on this button is a version of their symbol. The shield and spear represent the wars against colonial oppression and the militant wing of the ANC. The wheel represents bringing together all people of South Africa and the adoption of the Freedom Charter, which stated the common goals of the ANC and their allies.

White button with red text. 

The Equal Rights Amendment was proposed to guarantee equal rights for women in both 1923 and 1972. The ERA passed Congress and was proposed for ratification on March 22, 1972 with a seven year deadline. By 1978 Illinois, as the only northern state that had not yet ratified, was considered a key state for ratification of the ERA. Supporters held a march on Chicago to encourage the legislature to pass the ERA. More than 4000 people attended and politicians and activists spoke in Daley Plaza. The protest was unsuccessful and Illinois did not ratify the ERA, even by the extended deadline of 1982.

Beige button with black text. 

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is an international member-run labor union founded in 1905. The IWW organizes workers by industry, as opposed to dividing its members by skill or trade, for the purpose of pooling numbers and resources. As a democratic, member-run union, members of the IWW decide what issues to address and what tactics to use to create better working conditions in their industries. Each year, members gather for the IWW's annual convention in Chicago, which is where the general headquarters is located.

White button with beige text and green mountains with a sun coming up behind the two peaks.

Colorado is home to a portion of the Rocky Mountains, and in fact, the highest peak in North America is located in Colorado. Mount Elbert stands at 14,440 feet above sea level, and the city of Denver is famously known as the “Mile-High City”. The slogan on this button playfully makes reference to the high altitudes and welcomes people to the state.

White button with red text and small red logo. 

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee was established in 1940. Their mission is to advance human rights and social justice around the world. They are a non-profit organization that depends on grassroots support. Over 40,000 volunteer and support this group. UUSC has done work in Haiti, Rwanda, Darfur, and within the United States.

White button with black text. A red, yellow and green circle is in the center with the image of people waving a flag on it. 

The South African Youth Congress (SAYCO) was made up of young men and women who were often working class and unemployed. Local youth organizations were established at the grassroots and then organized into SAYCO starting in 1987. They were closely allied with student groups, but looked toward working class men and women to lead in the struggle for freedom. The words "Freedom or Death - Victory is Certain" were the motto of the South African Youth Congress and their symbol is a group of young people running across South Africa with a red flag reading SAYCO. Their goals were to increase the political participation of youth, convince those young people who had jobs to join unions, and to support compulsory education for children and youth of all races. In 1990 SAYCO integrated into the ANC Youth League. 

Image of the venus symbol with a fist in the center in red on a white button.

This button depicts the symbol of the women's liberation movement and was created by Robin Morgan for the 1969 Miss America protest. The fist represents power and rebellion and is enclosed in the women's symbol. The button was originally made in "menstrual red" like this one.

The first Miss America protest occurred in 1968 and drew a lot of media attention. Women unfurled banners inside the Convention Hall, performed skits (including crowning a live sheep Miss America) and sang songs outside the entrance. They also threw symbols of femininity into a large trash can, but never actually burned any bras, despite the persistent rumors that they had. The 1969 protest was much tamer. Protesters could not get into the event or near the entrance, but they did perform skits behind the police lines and talked to women who came to watch.