May Day History Told Through Buttons by Buttons of the Left

Isaac from Buttons of the Left framed his May Day talk around the powerful words of Haymarket martyr August Spies, who, when sentenced to death, declared: “It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out. The ground is on fire upon which you stand.” Using pinback buttons from different eras, Isaac showed how that “subterranean fire” has continued to burn through generations of working class struggle. Though movements are often suppressed, the message carried in these small objects shows they are never extinguished.


His talk traced the 140 years since the Haymarket Affair, highlighting how the fight for workers’ rights resurfaces again and again in new forms. Through the imagery and slogans on the buttons, Isaac connected past struggles to the present, showing that the spirit of resistance and organizing remains constant even as the times change.


Buttons of the Left is an archive and educational project focused on the materials used to educate, agitate, and organize for progressive change. The project collects and preserves buttons as important artifacts of working class history, while also sharing the context and meaning behind each item. Through exhibits and presentations, Isaac brings these objects to life, helping students, workers, and the public better understand the movements that shaped them and the ones still unfolding today.