Photograph of a man's head and shoulders on a white background surrounded by a black outer edge with white text

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist and minister. He was born on January 15, 1929, and died on April 4, 1968. He led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. Through his activism, he played an influential role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens. He is also known for his speech, “I Have A Dream,” and within the speech he uses the popular American phrase “Let Freedom Ring.” 

Illustration of superman on a white background with black and red text

From July 18 – August 22, 1976, comic book illustrations featuring Superman were on display as part of an exhibit at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. The exhibit, entitled "Cartoon Art: An Exhibition in Two Parts", was organized by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Junior Group. 31,668 visitors attended the exhibit which featured cartoons and memorabilia on loan from Sol Harrison as well as works by Faith and John Hubley. A second exhibit was held simultaneously at the Charles Burchfield Center (now the Burchfield-Penney Art Center).

Illustration of a red hat with a black tassle coming out of the top and a yellow and blue symbol on the front on a white background with black text around the outer edge. There is a green, red and gold ribbon attached at the bottom edge that is connected to a multi-colored plastic camel

The Shriners was established in 1872 by Walter M. Fleming and William J. “Billy” Florence as a new fraternity for Masons that focused more on fun than ritual. The Arabian theme of the Shriners inspired both the fez, which was adopted as the official headgear of the Shriners in 1872, and the emblem, which can be seen on the fez. The Shriners are known for their philanthropic efforts, particularly in support of the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The first hospital was established in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1922.

The Imperial Session takes place annually. During the week-long event, members of the Shriners from around the world gather to join discussions and vote on business matters, as well as participate in family-friendly events and the Shriners parade. At the end of the Imperial Session, a new Imperial Potentate is installed. The Imperial Potentate acts as CEO of Shriners International and serves as chairman on the Board of Directors for the Shriners Hospital for Children.

Illustration of a person in a red shirt and brown pants with yellow hair on a white background with another illustration behind it of a person in a hat. There is an outer gold edge with black text

Community Funds are independent charitable organizations that became increasingly popular after the 1929 stock market crash, which launched the U.S into the Great Depression. Private charities, which relied on funding from the federal government, were failing which meant there was a void to fill and the general public lost trust in the larger, private charities. Community Funds have broad missions that support the development of the community they serve.

A green illustration of the sign for female that is made of a tennis racket with a baseball and basketball on it on a white background

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White text on a red background

Woman power refers to the influence exerted by women as a group, especially in the work force and in social and political activities. The mantra is linked to feminism as a larger political and social movement, which saw a huge resurgence beginning in the 1960s and persisting through the 1970s with the women’s liberation movement. Feminist ideology supports equal political, economic, personal, and social rights for women.

White text on a purplish background - this is on a sticker stuck to the front of the button

The NUT in the center of this button stands for National Union of Teachers, which is a trade union, founded in 1870, for school teachers in the United Kingdom and the largest teachers’ union in Europe. The NUT mounts many different campaigns concerning education issues and working conditions for union members. Some of the NUT’s current policies are: fair pay for teachers, work-life balance for teachers, against academies, abolition of National Curriculum Tests, and one union for all teachers. This specific campaign button was most likely distributed in anticipation of an upcoming election in which voters would be presented with educational issues.

Black text on a yellowish white background with a blue white and red outer ring

In 1895, the city of Providence, Rhode Island demanded a public transit system that would allow for free transfers for passengers. The Union Railroad Company claimed it would lose $250,000 annually through a transfer system due to fraud. As a sort of compromise, Union Railroad demanded that the city waive its tax obligations in order to offset its loss through the free transfer system. The city refused to meet this condition and introduced city-wide legislation for a free and unrestricted transfer system. The URC made a counteroffer for free transfers in exchange for not having to sponsor road repairs.

Senator Nelson Aldrich argued for the rights of URC, claiming that if the company’s rights were not upheld, the rights of all public and private corporations would be at risk. Councilman P.J. McCarthy countered by arguing that the city’s legislators were servants of the URC and warned of the dangers of allowing one company to monopolize the city’s transit system. As the debate continued, the Outlet Company passed out the “Transfer Tickets or Nothing” button to the public as a sort of protest against the URC. It wasn’t until 1902 that the URC actually began issuing transfer tickets, and then only in exchange for legislative favors.

Molloy, S. (1996). Trolley wars: Streetcar workers on the line (pp. 92-94). Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Black and white text over an illustration of a needle through fabric on a purple background

The Names Project Foundation works to preserve and use the AIDS Memorial Quilt to raise awareness about AIDS. The quilt itself weighs nearly 54 tons and has over 48,000 panels that are dedicated to more than 94,000 individuals, most of whom lost their lives to AIDS, and is a well-recognized symbol for the AIDS epidemic. The quilt is often used to fight prejudice, fundraise, and to unite people in the fight against AIDS.

Illustration of a brown dog upright and wearing a brown trench coat with black and red text around the outer edge on a white background

McGruff the Crime Dog is cartoon bloodhound that was created for the National Crime Prevention Council for use by American police in building crime awareness among children. McGruff debuted in July 1980 and his motto was, “Take a bite out of crime.” McGruff was used in commercials, songs, educational videos and booklets, covering topics on drugs, bullying, safety and the importance of staying in school. The image and text that is on the button is the official logo.