05/27/2026
Over the past 2 years, I have looked through hundreds, perhaps thousands, of vintage buttons from all corners of the internet. But none of them have touched me quite like this one did.
Take a close look at the details: the words “RALLY COORDINATOR” casually written in black marker on pink construction paper (or perhaps it was red to begin with), the pencil line occasionally visible around the edge, revealing the hastiness with which it was cut.
There is nothing perfect about this button. It appears hurriedly made by someone who surely had something better to be doing at that very moment. This button was created to be functional, not aesthetically pleasing. It’s a wonder it has lasted as long as it did.
Pinback buttons as we know them were invented in the 1800’s, and they’ve been a tool for facilitating change and building community ever since. They have always been relatively cheap and simple to produce, making them easily accessible for activists and organizers.
It is thanks to those who thought it worthwhile to collect and preserve these pieces of history that we can now witness this particular moment, frozen in time without explanation.
Take a moment to picture the individual making this button. Look at their workspace—their desk filled with buttons, fliers, and notes—look at their hands as they write the words, and the way the tiny muscles in their eyebrows move when they cut out the circle. Whom do they love? Why do they fight?
The paper has now faded from years of light exposure. And as those years slowly passed, this person’s vision gradually came to light. What a beautiful metaphor for the struggle our forebearers fought. Though I don’t know the details of this particular rally, I know their fight has largely been won, and it is thanks to them and those like them that I can now live my life with the freedom and openness in which I so delight.
Occasionally history is made by throwing bricks, but more often, it is made by unsung rally coordinators passing out buttons.
This button reproduction will be available at my next market on 13-14 June.