Purple text on a white background

Clarence Thomas is a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. He succeeded Thurgood Marshall and is the second African American to serve on the Court. He was nominated by George H. W. Bush and is considered to be one of the more conservative members of the Court. Although there has not been an official movement to impeach Justice Thomas, there are several online petitions that call for his removal from the Court. These petitions cite various reasons for his impeachment, including sexual misconduct and his refusal to recuse himself during hearings that pose a clear conflict of interest.

Illustration of a leopard above black text on a yellow background

There are several organziations that want to protect animals, such as leopards, from the fur trade. These groups want to bring awareness to the negativities of wearing, or buying, leopard furs. There are also campaigns that help protect animals, such as the “Humane Society” and the “Big Cat Rescue,” These organizations try to help protect animals from laws, such as ones that create loopholes that enable real fur to be labeled wrongfully as faux. According to the “Big Cat Rescue,” between 1968 and 1970 the U.S fur industry imported 18,456 leopard skins, along with many other animal pelts. 

Yellow text on a background of a red and black brick wall

 "If you don't like the news go out and make some of your own" was the tagline of radio journalist Wes "Scoop" Nisker. Wes Nisker was a radio news anchor in San Francisco in the 1960s and 70s. From 1968-1979 he was the news director for an underground radio station called KSAN that was known for giving a voice to the antiwar movement. His satirical newscasts include rock and roll music, interviews, and other sound clips. He got the nickname "Scoop" from the DJs because he had a source on the Chicago Conspiracy trials. Wes Nisker was heavily influenced by the beat generation, especially Jack Kerouac and is now a Buddhist meditation teacher and the author of several books including If You Don't Like the News Go Out and Make Some of Your Own, and Big Bang, Buddha, Baby Boom. He sees his Buddhist meditation as a antidote to materialism.

Illustration of Snoopy, Linus and Lucy from the Peanuts on a yellow background

The comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz (1922 – 2000), was published in newspapers from 1950 to 2000. The comic often addressed cultural, political or social themes. The strip that contains this scene was published on February 25, 1967. In the strip, Linus originally has a picket sign which reads "help stamp out things," but Lucy tells him that the sign should be more specific. Linus returns with a sign that now reads "help stamp out things that need stamping out."

Lucy is best known for being bossy and first appeared on March 3, 1952. Linus, Lucy's younger brother, is considered to be the philosopher among his group of friends and first appeared in the comic strip on September 19, 1952. Snoopy, the dog present in this scene, first appeared in the comic strip on October 4, 1950. Schulz drew nearly 18,000 strips featuring these characters during his career.

Illustration of Smokey Bear's head wearing a brown hat with red text on it on a green inner circle with a white outer edge with black text on it

Created in 1944, Smokey Bear is the longest running public service advertising campaign in United States history. Each year, the Department of Agriculture, Forest Services creates a series of promotional material featuring Smokey Bear to help educate the public about forest fire prevention. This button was part of the 1995 – 1996 campaign.

Illustration of many heads with a speech bubble with a word inside it on a white background

In the 1970s a number of groups were created hoping to address a specific, growing concern: overpopulation of the planet and how the rapidly expanding human population would impact Earth's natural resources, wildlife, and ability to sustain human life. Organizations like Planned Parenthood and Zero Population Growth were part of those trying to raise awareness of the estimated impacts of overpopulation, advocating for birth control as a means of safeguarding the planet’s resources. The movement picked up popularity on college campuses, and created promotional material like buttons to start discussions about overpopulation. Many of these organizations shifted their focus in later years: Zero Population Growth changed its name to Population Connection in 2002 and now focuses on sustainability and improving living conditions for humanity. 

Blue text on a white background

The statement on this button reflects the belief that everyone should have access to free or affordable healthcare, most likely provided by the government. Millions of people across the U.S. either do not have any health insurance or are under-insured with high deductibles and co-payments. This button supports the idea that one’s access to proper medical treatment should not depend on the size of one’s bank account. 

Illustration of two hands shaking on a white background

The image of a black or grey hand shaking a white hand was a common symbol in the Civil Rights Movement. The hand shake is a symbol of peace and solidarity. The interracial handshake signifies interracial cooperation and equality. SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) produced a similar button with their name on the bottom in the 1960s when they were an interracial group of college students working for Civil Rights for African Americans. This image was also used on buttons advertising  the March on Washington in 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Blue illustration of the statue of liberty next to red text on a white background

Roe v. Wade was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court issued its decision on January 22, 1973, with a 7-to-2 majority vote in favor of Roe. It was ruled that a right to privacy, under the 14^th Amendment, extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Roe v. Wade prompted a national debate that still continues today. People were split into two groups, one being the group that believes in the “freedom to choose.” By having an image of the Statue of Liberty on the button it enforces the people’s right to their freedom. 

Black and white photograph of a woman on a white background with red text above and white text below

Mary Harris “Mother” Jones (1837 – 1930) was an Irish-American schoolteacher and dressmaker who became a prominent labor and community organizer. She helped coordinate major strikes and cofounded the Industrial Workers of the World. In 1902 she was called "the most dangerous woman in America" for her success in organizing mine workers and their families against the mine owners. In 1903, to protest the lax enforcement of the child labor laws in the Pennsylvania mines and silk mills, she organized a children's march from Philadelphia to the home of President Theodore Roosevelt in New York. The slogan on this button refers to Jones uttering the words still invoked by union supporters more than a century later: "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.”