Political Buttons from the Button Museum

Free Huey, 1968
This button was made after Huey Newton, a founder of the Black Panther Party, was convicted of the murder of an Oakland, Calif., police officer in 1968. Newton's case had attracted a great deal of attention, as many felt the African-American leader had been falsely accused. In 1970, an appeals court reversed the conviction and ordered a new trial. After two subsequent mistrials, the California Supreme Court declined to pursue the matter.

• The Button Museum