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Illustration of a female wearing blue coveralls and a red and white polka dot bandana in her hair on a yellow background with a blue text bubble above with white text in it

We Can Do It was a propaganda poster designed in 1943 by graphic artist J. Howard Miller for the Westinghouse Corporation. The illustration is often mistakenly referred to as Rosie the Riveter (the true Rosie the Riveter artwork was painted by Norman Rockwell for the cover of the May 29, 1943 edition of the Saturday Evening Post). Miller’s poster was designed to encourage females to join the workforce during the Second World War, in order to help industries on the home front meet production demands. Today, We Can Do It continues to be reprinted as a symbol of determination and accomplishment.

Illustration of a black and white earth with colorful animals on top on a white background with black text along the bottom

Human-i-tees was an environmental t-shirt company in the 1990s that donated part of their profits from their environmentally themed products, like this button, to environmental projects in local communities. This button's message is that animals should not be mistreated and displaced because they were here before humans, which gives them the right to the land and natural resources they need to live. 

Red text along the top edge wtih three photographs of men's heads on a white background

Seen on the button are John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy, all of whom were civil rights activists and were assassinated. Robert F. Kennedy worked for civil rights for African Americans. John F. Kennedy delivered his Civil Rights Address on June 11, 1963 in which he proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It was also in 1963 that Martin Luther King, Jr. launched a campaign of mass protests in Birmingham, Alabama, and would later delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Both John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy worked together to pass the Civil Rights Act. These three men fought, campaigned, and died for the civil rights of Americans. 

Illustration of a red shield with white text on it on a white cirlce with a dark blue outer edge with white text on it

The Salvation Army was founded in England by William Booth and his wife, Catherine, in 1865. Booth conducted evangelical meetings throughout England, preaching to the poor and destitute. By 1867, The Salvation Army also began to offer a number of social assistance programs. The first meeting of the Salvation Army in the United States was organized by Eliza Shirley and was held in Philadelphia in 1879.

During the First World War, the Salvation Army provided a number of services to aid on the war effort. On the home front, Salvationists organized the collection of linens to be made into bandages and recruited volunteers to help create care packages for those fighting overseas. The Salvation Army also set up service centres next to military bases on the home front which provided canteens, recreational facilities, meeting rooms, libraries, and religious services.

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This button supports the cause of legalizing prostitution; often called the oldest profession in the world. Prostitution is illegal in the United States, with the exception of parts of Nevada, yet it is practiced in every state. There are those who believe that criminalizing prostitution should help to stop it; yet statistics on arrests for prostitution prove otherwise. Others believe that the government should not, and cannot, legislate morals and that no one should be forcibly prevented from acting in any way they choose, provided the acts are not invasive of the free acts of others. Proponents for legalizing prostitution believe that if the act is truly consensual, it is a business transaction and no harm is being done.

Illustration of a bug character in blue white and yellow next to a red and white stop sign on a yellow background with an outer blue edge with white text on it

This button is from the New Jersey agency for Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Enterprise (DARE) which was founded in 1967. DARE was established to help those struggling with drug addiction to live a drug free life with three stages; outreach, residence, and after care. DARE assisted those 16 years old and up with their mission to provide “a way out of the habit.”  

This program should not be confused with Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) which started in 1983 as a youth education program in California, before eventually providing a curriculum and programs worldwide.

Illustration of a mountain and two palm trees with search lights above on a silver background with white text on top

In 1978, there was a campaign to save the iconic Hollywood sign. The sign originally said, “HOLLYWOODLAND” as built in 1923 to promote a real estate development of the same name. In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce entered an agreement with Los Angeles Parks and Recreation to repair the sign, but tear down “LAND,” which had seen wear and been subject to destruction from natural events. The sign rapidly deteriorated by the 1970s and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign to restore the sign in 1978. They raised $250,000 to build the replica sign that stands today.
Hollywood Video video stores use the iconic California letters as part of their logo.

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The anti-abortion or "pro-life" movement began as a response to the rise of second-wave feminism in the 1960s, in which feminists argued that abortion's illegality removed a woman's autonomy over her own body. Several states including Pennsylvania, California, and Massachusetts started chapters of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) by 1970 in order to monitor abortion legislation. The movement did not truly gain national prominence until 1973 when the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that a woman's right to an abortion could not be restricted by the government. The landmark case was a major blow to the pro-life movement, and motivated anti-abortion activists to mobilize and transform abortion into a political issue.

The pro-life movement has been overwhelmingly Christian, and is governed by the belief that life begins at conception and abortion results in the termination of that life. Throughout the 1970s, the NRLC and other pro-life organizations attempted to pass several bills that would have reversed the Supreme Court's ruling but were unsuccessful. Today, their goals involve state-by-state legislation limiting the situations in which abortions are possible with the ultimate goal still being the repeal of Roe v. Wade.