Black and white photograph of Nelson Mandela's face with yellow and green text around the outer edges and a red line on the top and right on a black background

Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) was a political activist, who fought against apartheid, a system of racial classification and segregation, in South Africa. He was arrested in 1963 for his involvement in challenging the policies of the government and spent nearly three decades in prison. Following his release from prison in 1990, Mandela participated in negotiations to end apartheid, a role which earned him and F. W. de Klerk the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. On May 10, 1994, Mandela was elected as president in South Africa’s first democratic election. He continued to be an advocate for human rights and social justice until his death in 2013.

The phrase “the struggle is my life” comes from a press statement issued by Mandela on June 26, 1961, to explain his decision to continue his political work underground. The statement reads in part: “For my own part I have made my choice. I will not leave South Africa, nor will I surrender. Only through hardship, sacrifice and militant action can freedom be won. The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days.”

In 1978, the International Defence and Aid Fund published a collection of Mandela’s speeches and writings, entitled Nelson Mandela: The Struggle is My Life, as a tribute to Mandela on his 60^th birthday.

Illustration of a black hanger with text inside it and black text around the outer edge on a white background

The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) was founded in Chicago in 1969. The goal of the organization is to protect and expand reproductive rights across the U.S. by lobbying Congress and promoting pro-choice lawmakers. Their “never again” campaign highlights dangerous, and sometimes traumatic, experiences of illegal abortions before Roe v. Wade in order to protect access to safe and legal abortions.

White illustration of the statue of liberty with white text above on a green background

National Abortion Rights Action League, or NARAL, is a pro-choice American organization made up of pro-choice women and men across the United States. The organization protects and expands reproductive freedom for women. They lobby Congress, represent pro-choice Americans, work with 20 state affiliates to advance ideas that work towards women’s freedom, and use the political process to elect lawmakers who support their pro-choice values. NARAL uses the statue of liberty as their logo, and therefore, they put it on their promotional buttons. NARAL states that they "will always have to fight to keep abortion safe and legal. This means defeating attacks in Congress and in the states."

A white illustration of the statue of liberty with white text above on a blue background

National Abortion Rights Action League, or NARAL, is a pro-choice American organization made up of pro-choice women and men across the United States. The organization protects and expands reproductive freedom for women. They lobby Congress, represent pro-choice Americans, work with 20 state affiliates to advance ideas that work towards women’s freedom, and use the political process to elect lawmakers who support their pro-choice values. NARAL “believes that women should have the option to choose abortion,” it is their own personal decision. 

Brown and white photograph of a woman in front of a bookshelf and wearing white.

Margaret Sanger was a feminist and women’s rights activist. She is known for coining the term, “birth control.” In 1910, she started a publication promoting a woman’s right to birth control but laws forced her to flee the country in 1915. This didn’t stop her in pursuing women’s rights to birth control, and in 1916 she opened the first birth control clinic in the U.S. It was in 1919, that Sanger published the article, “A Parents’ Problem or Woman’s?” where she wrote, “No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body.” Later in 1921, she established the American Birth Control League, which would lead to today’s Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She died in 1966, fighting her entire life for women’s rights. 

White text on a blue background

"Live simply so others may simply live" is a quote attributed to Gandhi.  However, some people have falsely credited the quote to Elizabeth Ann Seton and Mother Theresa. The meaning behind the quote is to live simply so that there are more resources to go around for those who are just trying to live.

Black text on a white rectangle on a black circle with a white outer edge and an illustration of two hands shaking at the top

The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor unions in the United States, representing over 3 million members who work in public education. On September 19, 1981, unions such as the NEA took part in Solidarity Day, a march in Washington to protest the budget and tax cuts proposed the Reagan administration.

Illustration of Jiminy Cricket in the center of the button with green and blue text in rings around him on a white background

Jiminy Cricket, a character from the 1940 film Pinocchio, is the mascot for Disney’s commitment to ‘Environmentality’, which encourages staff and visitors to act in an environmentally responsible manner. First introduced as the mascot in 1990, Jiminy Cricket has appeared on multiple Earth Day buttons. Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22. This button was given to visitors to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida on Earth Day in 1992.

Balck and red text and black paw prints on a white background

Socks was the pet cat of President Bill Clinton’s family during his presidency and became somewhat of a national celebrity in his own right. In order to keep from alienating dog lovers, Clinton adopted a chocolate Labrador retriever named Buddy shortly after moving into the white. Unfortunately, Socks and Buddy did not get along and when Clinton left the White House, Socks went to live with his former secretary. This button is from the 1996 presidential election, when Clinton ran for a second term and was re-elected.

Illustration of an elephant with a GOP sign draped over it and two people and a ladder next to it, a donkey with a DEMS sign draped over it and a group of people next to it and in the foreground an illustration of a man in black riding a camel and holding a flag and a small illustration of a cat holding a paper all over black text on a white background

This is a campaign button from the 1976 presidential election in support of the Prohibition Party’s presidential nominee, Benjamin C. Bubar from Maine.  He was an ordained minister and a lifelong politician who was the party’s nominee for 1980 as well. Bubar was the last Prohibition Party candidate to have had political experience before running for the presidency. The Prohibition Party has run candidates in every presidential election since 1872.