Illustration of two black silhouette's dancing in front of a pink triangle on top of an illustration of a yellow jukebox. White and Black Text on a white background. 

BelAir Cafe Chevy’s was a nightclub located in West Islip, Long Island, New York. The venue was active during the 1980s and early 1990s, featuring live music and dancing. A television commercial from the era described it as “the total entertainment complex,” offering dancing, parties, half-court basketball, indoor beach volleyball, a Velcro jump, and dining at Duffy’s Diner. The button’s design reflects the lively and retro atmosphere promoted in the ad.

Here is a video link of a 1992 commercial for BelAir Cafe Chevy’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS5jVdab_Vg.

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The Reagan for Shah campaign was spearheaded by the Plutonium Players, a satirical theater troupe that grew out of Berkeley College in the 1980s. Part of a long legacy of political activism on college campuses, their other tongue-in-cheek campaigns included Students For War and Ladies Against Women. The slogan references then-president Ronald Reagan’s involvement in the Iran-Iraq War, in which the Reagan administration sold arms to Iran in an attempt to secure the release of American hostages in Lebanon. This controversy, commonly referred to as Iran-Contra, ultimately tanked the American public’s trust in the Reagan administration.

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“Help Textile Workers Win Justice” was a rallying cry for the boycott of the J.P. Stevens Textile Corporation following the death of two of its textile workers. Grover Hardin and Louis Harrell, the latter of whom is pictured on this button, died of byssinosis, commonly known as brown lung, after repeated exposure to cotton dust at work. These deaths, along with other injustices, led to the organizing of J.P. Stevens textile workers into unions, who then began a long and protracted battle with the company throughout the 1960s and 70s. After merging with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers union in 1976, the newly christened Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union initiated a boycott of J.P. Stevens products which drew widespread attention and momentum. J.P. Stevens eventually capitulated and met the union’s demands in 1980 in exchange for the end of the strike. 

Louis Harrell’s photograph was also used in OSHA-published brochures on the dangers of cotton dust in 1980 during the last year of U.S. president Jimmy Carter’s term. In 1981, newly-elected president Ronald Regan appointed Thorne Auchter as OSHA director. Aucheter determined that the Carter-era brochures had a pro-labor bias and had them destroyed, along with several films critical of the textile industry. The anti-labor policies of the Reagan administration stalled the future efforts of the ACTWU and other unions. 

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Dr. Christine Blasey Ford is a professor of psychology at Stanford University. Following the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court by Donald Trump, Blasey Ford came forward alleging that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her while the two were in high school. On September 28, 2018, Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on her experience with Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh also testified in the same hearing. Despite Blasesy Ford's allegations, the Senate voted to confirm Kavanaugh on October 6 2018. Despite Kavanaugh's confirmation, Blasey Ford has since expressed satisfaction that her allegation increased awareness of sexual assault in the United States.  

Illustration of a character wearing a hat, bowtie, and vest with shamrocks on it holding a basketball and a cane. White text over a background of an image of a basketball.

The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association league. The team was founded in 1946 as one of eight original teams in the NBA. Established in Boston, Massachusetts, they are in the Eastern Conference and have won 18 championships, the most out of any team in the NBA as of 2025.

The leprechaun in the Boston Celtics logo is named Lucky. The logo was designed by Zang Auerbach, the brother of Celtics head coach Red Auerbach.

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From 1973-1974, an oil embargo was enforced by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) on the United States. The embargo was sparked by the Yom Kippur War that occurred in October, 1973, when Israel was attacked unexpectedly on their holy day, Yom Kippur, by the combined forces of Egypt and Syria. While the Soviet Union helped supply Egypt and Syria with more supplies, the United States stepped in to help Israel. In retaliation, OAPEC placed an embargo on the United States, causing the price of oil to quadruple and leading to a gas shortage and energy crisis throughout America. 

As a result, there was a push by President Nixon's administration to conserve heat and fuel sources throughout American homes, with initiatives like Project Independence. In addition, Nixon’s Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, proposed the creation of the International Energy Agency as a way to secure the supply of oil from other countries; this agency has since evolved to help create and promote clean energy planning in other countries. 

While the embargo only lasted for a year, the energy saving ideology it sparked had long lasting effects on the United States. Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter continued promoting energy-saving measures; during his presidency Carter created the Energy department that would address the impact energy and fuel had on the environment and the American people.  

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The Bloomfield (New Jersey) Public Library's junior book club, founded in 1933 by children’s librarian Barbara E. Schroeder, was created to re-engage young readers at a time when movie-going and other leisure activities were drawing children away from the library. Meetings included book reviews, dramatizations, contests, and holiday programs, and membership quickly grew from forty to nearly one hundred by the end of its second year. 

To boost participation, the library divided members into two competing teams—the “Reds” and the “Blues”—and awarded points for activities such as recruiting new members, giving book reviews, and performing at meetings. Each participant received a pinback button like this one, which was distributed during the 1934-35 membership drive. The initiative was considered a success, with increased attendance and higher circulation of children’s books reported that year.

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The Boston Children's Museum was founded in 1913 by a group of teachers looking to provide a unique learning experience for young students that focused on skill building with activities such as nature walks, using a telescope, model making with clay and wax, and many others. In the 1960's, then-museum curator Michael Spock instituted innovative new policies to get museum objects out of cases and into the hands of the children visiting the museum, a practice that was part of the larger movement towards hands-on learning for children in schools and other educational institutions. 

The Boston Children's Museum continues to offer activities, award-winning exhibits, and relaxed STEAM-based lessons all geared towards children. The museum's website also hosts a variety of "museum at home" activities that families can engage with without physically visiting the museum.  

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The Lincoln Park Zoo is a zoo located within Chicago's Lincoln Park, a 1,208 acre park that sits alongside Lake Michigan. Founded in 1878, it is one of the only free admission zoos in the United States. 

The Super Zoo Picnic is an an annual celebration put on by the Lincoln Park Zoo. Those with paid zoo memberships can purchase tickets to this after-hours event which offers exclusive access to park amenities, food, and live entertainment. 

Click here to see the Super Zoo Picnic '84 button.