Been Politickin’:
A Collection of My Cool Auntie’s
Vintage Political Pins
In the summer of 2018, I visited my Auntie Barbara and she gifted me a collection of her political pins. Here, they are presented as scanned images for postcard proofs.
The movement to abolish apartheid in South Africa extended to a larger movement for solidarity amongst descendants of the African Diaspora. For more information please visit The Antiapartheid Movement Archives.
Every year in predominantly Black cities across the United States, there are celebrations for the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Here is a pin from the inaugural national holiday celebrating Dr. King’s life. Stevie Wonder composed the Birthday Song to raise awareness for the advocacy of this holiday.
In the 2016 Election there were many headlines that discussed the folks living on the coasts as having “forgot” about the folks living in the middle of the United States. The tragedy of most of the journalism and reports was the portrayal of this person as a poor white farmer often overlooking the Black people that live in the Midwest. The Midwest has always been the center of political turning points powered by the Black people who live there. This collection is a tribute to them. The Jerry Lewis Telethon pin was thrown in there because I always remember this being on the T.V. at all my Aunties’ houses.
In 2020, there is, again, a call for the eradication of the two-party system. There is a discussion that focuses on the need for progressives to distance themselves from the Democratic Party. However in this conversation we must mention that Labor Unions have provided the groundwork leading political parties, including The New Party and more recently, The Working Families Party to advocate for workers’ rights and have always advocated for a third, more progressive political party. Pins were created, distributed, and worn by members of Unions while they were on the job. The pin that stands out the most to me is the “No Way Co-Pay.”
