Posters can be powerful vehicles for social change. "Decades of Dissent," a new exhibition at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, showcases protest posters from the 1960s and '70s that were intended to rally support for important causes of the era, from equal rights to the antiwar movement. The posters in the exhibition, which was organized by the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, are notable for their combinations of Pop Art, psychedelic images and memorable slogans, and address issues that are, in many cases, just as compelling now as they were more than 40 years ago. Whether they were created by well-known artists, like Robert Rauschenberg or Sister Corita Kent, or by others who were associated with grass-roots groups like the Gay Liberation Front or Another Mother for Peace, the posters offer commentaries on the emerging identity politics of the time, including feminism, the "Black is Beautiful" movement, the American Indian movement, gay rights or the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. The iconic slogan "Make Love Not War," originally used to protest the Vietnam War, is still invoked today in antiwar contexts. The poster, with its funky lettering that surrounds a peace sign made of flowers, was designed in 1967 and printed by Tarot Press. The activist, artist and mother Lorraine Schneider created the "War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things" slogan and image in 1965 for a design contest at Pratt Art Institute in New York. While her design didn't win, it became one of the most famous political graphics of the era. In 1967, 15 women formed the antiwar group Another Mother for Peace (AMP) in Beverly Hills, and Schneider donated her logo to the organization. AMP printed the slogan on posters, flyers, newsletters, datebooks, buttons, cards and jewelry, making it an internationally recognized symbol of peace. The exhibition also includes a version of the poster with the text in Vietnamese. "Decades of Dissent" captures the mood of the era through music and photo-murals that provide context for the posters, and underscores the powerful potential of grass-roots protests to catalyze social and political change. Timed to coincide with the 2012 elections, the exhibition is part of "Democracy Matters," a campus-wide initiative at the Skirball, and is on view through Feb. 17, 2013.