Keep America Beautiful.

“Keep America Beautiful” is best known not as a literary aphorism but as a public-service slogan associated with the U.S. nonprofit organization Keep America Beautiful (KAB). The phrase circulated widely in mid-20th-century anti-litter and civic-beautification campaigns, appearing on posters, roadside signs, and in community clean-up initiatives. It became especially prominent through nationally distributed advertising and educational materials encouraging individuals to prevent littering and to take responsibility for public spaces. Because it functioned as a campaign tagline used by many agencies and partners, it is often treated as “anonymous” in quotation collections rather than attributed to a single identifiable speaker.

As a slogan, the line is an imperative that frames environmental stewardship as a shared civic duty. “Beautiful” operates broadly—covering cleanliness, public health, pride of place, and the aesthetic value of landscapes and streetscapes—while “America” appeals to national identity to motivate individual behavior (not littering, volunteering, maintaining public spaces). The phrase’s simplicity makes it adaptable to many contexts, from roadside anti-litter signs to community cleanups. It can also be read as reflecting a mid-century shift toward mass public messaging about environmental responsibility, emphasizing personal conduct and community action.

1) “Keep America Beautiful—Don’t litter.”
2) “Keep America Beautiful: Don’t be a litterbug.”
3) “Keep [State/City] Beautiful.”