An illustration of Smokey the bear holding a stick in his right hand with a bird on it. Black text sits above Smokey. An illustration of trees and a mountain serve as the background image.  

Smokey the Bear was first introduced in 1944 as a cartoon to advertise the dangers of forest fires. The first slogan used by Smokey the Bear was “Smokey Says—Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires.” The most famous and recognizable slogan “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires” was introduced in 1947. Smokey the Bear was created by the art critic Harold Rosenberg and is used by the United States Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council. With men away at war there was a lack of able-bodied men to fight fires. The campaign was created in the hopes that in educating communities about the dangers of forest fires they would be prevented. 

White, yellow, and red text on a background made of pixels of various shades of brown.

SB 1070 is also known as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 or the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. When the bill was enacted in 2010, it was the strictest piece of immigration legislation in United States history. The law requires all aliens over the age of 14 to register with the government, and at all times carry registration papers with them or be charged with a federal misdemeanor. One provision in SB 1070 gives law enforcement officers the ability to stop and check an individuals immigration status if they have 'reasonable suspicion' that the individual is an alien.

Despite minor changes by House Bill 2162, the law went into effect in 2010. Since it has been active there have been numerous protests, but Arizona and the United States have shown in polls to favor the bill overall. In 2012, the United States Supreme Court reviewed the bill and upheld the 'reasonable suspicion' portion but struck down three other minor sections.

An illustration of six handcuffed hands raised as fists with black text on a yellow background. 

On August 21, 1971 six prisoners attempted an escape from the San Quentin penitentiary, located north of San Francisco, California. The attempt resulted in a riot and the death of 6 people. The San Quentin Six were made up of Fleeta Drumgo, David Johnson, Hugo Pinell, Johnny Spain, Luis Talamantez and Willie Tate. Supposedly the escape took place after George Jackson’s attorney Stephen Bingham smuggled him in a handgun in a briefcase. The trial for the six inmates lasted sixteen months and was called “The Longest Trial” by Time magazine. Of the six inmates that were involved in the escape attempt, three were acquitted and the other three were charged. According to the Miami News, October 17, 1980, the Supreme Court rules that John Larry Spain and Hugo Pinell “drew additional life terms” and Johnson was granted probation. Pinell and Spain were both convicted of murder while Johnson was convicted of assault. 

An illustration of a red feather with blue text over it and blue stars surrounding it. 

The United Way Worldwide is a non-profit organization that coordinates a coalition of charitable organizations across the world, having its roots in the Colorado based Charity Organization Society started in 1887. In the early 1930s, many Community Chests, the forerunners of the United Way system, adopted the red feather as a symbol of service and volunteerism to the community.The United Way fundraising campaign was also commonly referred to as the "Red Feather" campaign. During the 1980s, formal societies established throughout Florida used the red feather as a symbol to recognize higher level community leaders. Today some United Way organizations continues to give "Red Feather" awards to honor their outstanding individuals who had made an impact on the United Way and the local community. 

Black text on a bright orange background.

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

An illustration of two hands giving a peace symbol.  The hands have a "&" symbol between them.  Everything is set against a blue background. 

While the “V” sign has many meanings all over the globe, the hands on this button are most likely using the peace symbol, which began in the United States during the Vietnam War as a counter to U.S. President Richard Nixon using the “V” sign to signal victory in the war. 

Red text of various sizes on a yellow background.

"Out of the closets and into the streets" was a slogan used by Queer Nation, an LGBTQ activist organization. Queer Nation was founded in March 1990 in New York City, by HIV/AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media. The group is known for its confrontational tactics, its slogans, and for the practice of outing - the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent.

An illustration of a skull and cross bones with the cross bones being a fork and a spoon. White text sit above and below the illustration and everything is set against a red background. 

Monsanto is a large corporation that had once produced chemicals such as Agent Orange and PCBS. Monsanto was referred to as a “corporate scoundrel” in a 2002 article on the Greenpeace website. Now Monsanto is producing herbicides and GMOs. The herbicides and GMOs that are used on corn, wheat, soybeans, and pigs are dangerous to the environment and to the health of human beings. Monsanto also has GM patents, which make it illegal for farmers to replant seeds from the former year’s crops. Greenpeace is staunchly against Monsanto and has expressed that genetically engineered crops produced by Monsanto has been perceived as a “diabolical plan of global food take over.”

However Monsanto has maintained their position as an advocate for sustainable agriculture, and their goal is to protect and preserve the environment while meeting the needs of a growing population. They seek to produce more crops through bioengineering, advanced plant breeding, and using less resources such as water and energy in the process. 

Composed of three sections: The top section is white text on a red background, the middle section is black and red text on a white background, and the bottom section is white text on a black background. 

New Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (New Mobe) was inspired by the similarly named National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. New Mobe was founded at a conference at Case Western Reserve University in July 1969, and, together with the Vietnam Moratorium Committee and the Student Mobilization Committee, organized the October 15, 1969 Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam which resulted in large demonstrations against the Vietnam War held nationwide. The groups then organized another large demonstration in Washington, D.C. to occur a month later, on November 15, 1969.

A illustration of Mickey Rat, a parody of Mickey Mouse inside a circle with a red background. The circle sits on a yellow background. 

Cartoonist Robert Armstrong created Mickey Rat initially as an image to use on T-Shirts. The image was so popular that Armstrong eventually branched out from T-Shirts to comics. Mickey Rat appeared in L.A. Comics #1 in December 1971. The comics were drawn by Armstrong but were scripted by Chester C. Crill. Mickey Rat was not only drawn crudely, he was also portrayed as sleazy, opportunistic, shallow, and incapable of subtlety. Kitchen Sink Press put out the second issue of the comic in which Armstrong drew and scripted the cartoon. The third and fourth issues of the comic were put out in 1980 and 1982 by Last Gasp Eco-Funnies.