Teaching Labor History with Union Buttons
With Isaac Silver’s Buttons of the Left
Tuesday, September 15
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Free and open to all.
In-person only:
CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies
25 West 43rd Street, 18th floor, New York, NY 10036 (map)
slucuny.swoogo.com/15September2026/register
Please register to receive event info and reminders.
The pinback button–humble as it is ubiquitous–has played a role in most movements for social justice, peace, and equality over the past century. Join Isaac Silver, the organizer, activist, and archivist behind Buttons of the Left for a presentation on the history of buttons in organizing and the role of archives in organizing and labor education today.
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What political, social, and economic conditions led to the emergence of the button, how was it used as an organizing tool, and how did it change organizing strategy?
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What is the cultural context in which the button emerges, and what kind of labor/working people’s culture did it help create?
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What is the role of historic objects and ephemera in this political moment?
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What does it mean to utilize imagery from the popular art of past movements?
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How can archiving and education projects be a form of community organizing?
A conversation with Liz Naiden, Director of Exhibitions and SLU Professors Samir Sonti, Gene Carroll, and Bryan Tyrrell will follow the presentation.
Isaac Silver
